Unforeseen Consequences
by Midnakdak
Summary: They say a familiar is summoned to help a mage in the way they need most. Well, Louise needed help with her constantly failing magic and her familiar certainly fulfills that role.
1. Chapter 1: Doubling Production

**Preface: **I should mention to anyone waiting for Failure meet failure to update, I doubt I'll be back on that any time soon. I had basically no outline for that outline for that story, (basally a skeleton list of ideas, I didn't know any better at the time) but it basically just followed the stations of canon too closely, it was getting very boring to write. The good news however is that I decided that if I was going to seriously write this, I would have to have a begging to end outline from the start. So be happy if you like this, because I have a beginning middle and end painstakingly outlined for this story. Now, on with the show.

**Disclaimer: **Are these even necessary? I put this more here because of peer presure than because of actually fearing retribution from the creators.**  
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**Unforeseen Complications**

Chapter 1: Doubling Production

As a rule of thumb, one could determine quite a bit about any particular mage from their familiar. Not only did familiars tend to associate with their mage's primary element, but they also tended to reflect that mage's strength and potential. If one summoned a fire dragon, others could guess that the summoner was a powerful pyromancer. The rule wasn't perfect, as exceptions like the headmaster of the Tristain Magic Academy, Old Osmand, and his summoned field mouse existed. However, those exceptions were few and far between.

In light of this, students of the mage craft have always measured themselves to their peers by familiar first. The system for such measurement was quite advanced, at least for an unofficial rule children through the ages settled on. The higher up on the food chain an animal was, the greater the familiar. If the animal was magical by nature it obviously was greater than all but the greatest of mundane familiars. A fire wolf beat a regular bear any day of Brimir's blessed week.

It was because of this unofficial rule the Louise Valliere was so proud of herself. The familiar she summoned was obviously magical from the moment she set eyes on it. The problem was, she was the only one in her class who managed that feat. She had endured nearly five minutes of jests at her expense upon summoning her familiar. Despite the creatures appearance all her class had called her crazy, unwilling to believe she had messed up the summoning. It had taken even the kind Professor Colbert asking her if she wanted to see the school healer before she realized she was the only one who could see her summoned familiar. Like a proper noble, she had buried her indignity and completed the ritual, binding her familiar to her. None who could cast the simple detect magic spell could doubt her then as the sealing circle activated and inscribed the familiar runes to her new partner.

After her grand display Louise refused all questions from peers as to the nature of her familiar. If her partner had some sort of invisibility defense, she wasn't going to reveal its details to anyone. The bonus getting to be the center of attention and finally get a small bit of revenge on her peers was just a bonus. However, she _had _let Professor Colbert try to inspect her familiar with a brief touch. That had shut up any rumors of a farce before they started.

Now, back in the safety of her room, Louise studied her familiar with a measured gaze. One the creature returned, unblinking. They had been sitting like this for nearly ten minutes, motionless. Racking her brain, Louise just couldn't figure out _what_ her familiar was.

Its exotic features and apparent invisibility made it obviously magical, but Louise couldn't think of anything it could possibly be. It looked to have both cat and rabbit-like ears. Maybe for enhanced hearing to find its own kind if its invisibility worked even on potential mates. The red, beady eyes made Louise lean more toward a bread of magical rabbit than cat, but the body shape was closer to cat-like. The large pillowing tail suggested seemed more at home on a fox than on a rabbit or cat, complicating the problem further. The white fur suggested a cold climate, but Louise knew very little of the beasts in the great north. Add the hovering gold rings around each rabbit ear and Louise seemed to be out of luck. The ironic thing was that the invisibility she was so proud of was stopping her from just showing her familiar to a professor. Sometimes, Louise suspected the universe hated her.

Frustrated, Louise growled and rolled back onto her bed. Familiars weren't supposed to be this difficult! _Wait! Familiar!_Louise nearly smacked herself. It was so obvious. Familiars and masters were supposed to have a mental link. They were supposed to be able to feel each others' emotions. Advanced mages were supposed to be able to lend and borrow senses with their familiars and even communicate by thought. Louise doubted she could do anything advanced right away, but maybe the mental link could give her a hint.

Sitting back up, Louise met the unmoving eyes of her familiar as it stared back from the edge of her bed. Focusing, Louise felt for the invisible thread between them; the magical thread of fate that bonded their souls to one another. Reaching deep within Louise focused, concentrated, _felt_ for her familiar.

Nothing.

Louise could feel nothing, no emotion whatsoever. "ARGH!" Louise finally screamed out in frustration. "WHAT ARE YOU!" She screamed as a last ditch effort.

"Kyuubey" a voice replied.

"You can talk!" Louise exclaimed, nearly falling off the bed in surprise. Here she had been studying the rabbit, cat, thing for the past half hour and it could talk the entire time! She didn't know whether to be grateful or angry!

The voice again responded, definitely coming from the familiar before her, yet its mouth did not move. "I can communicate, if that is what you mean." The voice was high pitched, almost sickeningly cute; a childlike voice that definitely belonged to such a cute animal.

Louise was stunned. The idea that her familiar could talk had never crossed her mind. There were very few creatures other than humans capable of human speech. Unless... Louise smiled to herself. So that was it. "I must be such a great mage to miss emotional transfer completely and move right on to direct thought transfer."

The haughty air was quickly dispersed when the animal, the Kyuubey, shook its head. "I don't know anything about this 'emotional transference' but I can assure you that I am the one who established our telepathic link." Louise deflated, realizing she had, in fact, failed to establish a mental bond. This realization left her was stuck between feeling smug that her familiar was not only able to cloak itself, but also seemed to have telepathic abilities; and being frustrated at failing a empathic link completely. So caught up in her inner turmoil, she didn't notice the Kyuubey approach her until his front paws were on her crossed legs. "I have told you who I am Louise Valliere, but now I ask you, why am I here?"

That question stumped Louise for a moment. Familiars had always instinctively known their purpose upon summoning; maybe it didn't work for sentient familiars? Deciding that the best way to instruct her familiar was with what she had been taught in class. Placing a hand on her hip and counting off the points she had memorized, Louise reconstructed her Professor's lecture. "Familiars are summoned to be an extension of the mage. Familiars act as the eyes and ears of a mage, protect the mage, and assist the mage throughout the life of the mage. The two beings become one, the mage the mind; the familiar the body." The slight tilt of the Kyuubey's head indicated that might not have been enough. Sighing, Louise dumbed it down. "Basically you are my familiar, so we look out for each other and you help me with my magic, usually by collecting reagents like sulfur and moss."

The Kyuubey stared at Louise for a moment, it seemed to be thinking. "I can help finding reagents, but I am not made for battle."

Ah, Louise had expected as much. Things as small as the Kyuubey that possessed defensive abilities like invisibility weren't usually natural fighters. However, that wasn't too big a problem. Louise had no plans to be getting into danger any time soon. "Don't worry familiar," Louise spoke with an air of nobility, "If anything dangerous happens, you can rely on me." There was nothing wrong with acting a little cool.

Despite no change in her familiars expression, Louise was sure her words had inspired it. "Now time for bed familiar." Louise said as she pulled the covers over her. The small Kyuubey complied by curling up at the foot of the bed. Louise saw no reason to object, the company of such a fine familiar was nice.

* * *

><p>The following morning was probably the greatest morning Louise had ever had. She woke up with her familiar, got dressed with her familiar, and walked out of the dorms, head held high with her familiar resting on her shoulder. The small creature was surprisingly light. Sure, she was the only one who could see her familiar, but envied glances from her peers only served to bolster Louise's soaring confidence.<p>

If Tabitha had summoned the noblest familiar in that dragon of hers, then Louise had summoned the most exotic and mysterious. If she cared to listen to rumors, Louise was sure she'd hear people guessing the nature of her familiar. Was it a Will-o-Wisp? Or maybe even a wind spirit? However, the joke was on her peers, even Louise, who had aced all non-practical classes had no idea what the Kyuubey was and she could see it! Louise quietly decided not to let that bit of information slip however.

Not willing to part with her new partner, Louise had brought it into the mess hall for breakfast. Sure, familiars weren't allowed inside, but no one could see it. Louise could barely contain her smile as she ate that morning. She couldn't remember what bacon usually tasted like, but it tasted like victory this morning.

Without a word to her peers, Louise left with true air of superiority, all eyes on her. Just as she reached the door, she gave a small piece of bacon to the Kyuubey. She could only imagine what those who saw a piece of food disappear would think. _Life is good_. She thought to herself.

It was with this happiness that Louise made her way to classes. She always tried to be early, and today was no different. However, she needed to drop off her familiar in the courtyard. Bringing the Kyuubey in to breakfast was one thing, but breaking rules in front of the teachers was another. "Alright familiar, you wait here with the other familiars while I go to classes."

The small animal hopped down and looked back up at her. "To study magic, yes?" It thought back. Louise nodded and made to leave. "I'll come with you." Her familiar stopped her. "I would like to see this." Louise actually wanted to bring her familiar, but the rules were clear, no familiars in class unless instructed otherwise. "Don't worry, I can't be seen by anyone, or smelled or heard for that matter."

Well, it wasn't like she'd get caught, and the teachers were pretty lax the first week after summoning. "Okay familiar, I will allow this just for you, but make sure you aren't noticed." A quick nod and a hop later, and the furry little creature was back on Louise's shoulder.

* * *

><p>Classes had gone well that day. There was little practical application by students, and Louise had not been chosen at all. That was until Miss Chevreuse had picked her out to transmute some clay. Normally, such a spell would result in one thing. However, hadn't she summoned something grand? Didn't that prove she could do magic? Steeling herself, Louise followed the incantations and movements perfectly. Harnessing her power, Louise willed the clay into bronze.<p>

For a brief moment, Louise believed she had done it, only to be blinded in a flash of destruction. A resounding explosion sent everyone toppling and destroyed the class room windows. When the smoke cleared, everyone began peeking out from behind their desks to find a ruffled and soot covered Louise.

"Hah! Failure as always Zero!"

That first call was preceded by more, yet Louise could barely hear them. Failure. Failure again. Hadn't things changed? Louise ignored the jests of her classmates, having no strength to rebuke them. At least her familiar was waiting at her seat. Despite being unable to read its constant single expression, Louise believed there was sympathy there for her. It wasn't much, but it was something.

* * *

><p>That night Louise was sore. She had been made to clean the classroom after getting a scolding for causing a mess. It wasn't like she <em>wanted<em>to cause explosions; why did she have to be scolded? What had started as the best day ever, had finished with Louise feeling her worst.

At least… At least her familiar was here with her, sitting quietly at the foot of the bed. "Louise." Well, mostly quietly.

Sitting up, Louise made sure to keep her composure. It wouldn't do for her familiar to believe she was some doormat to be walked on. Despite her failures, she was still a Valliere and its master. "Yes familiar?" Louise asked curiously, the familiar remained silent usually; she could only assume it had something important to say. Maybe something to cheer her up, Louise mutely hoped.

"Your magic is a failure compared to your peers." Louise fell backward onto her pillow. Like _that _was news. Normally Louise would be angry at such a statement. But her familiar was obviously too naive to understand, and Louise had no strength to argue.

A small weight on her chest alerted her to her familiar. The small Kyuubey had jumped onto her and was staring into her eyes.

"How about you become a magical girl then?"


	2. Chapter 2: Wish?

Chapter 2: Wish?

"How about you become a magical girl then?"

Louise looked into the beady eyes of her familiar. The unchanging expression was getting more and more annoying. She couldn't tell if the Kyuubey was teasing her or not. Deciding that it must be ignorance, Louise sat up, causing the small familiar to jump off her chest back onto the bed. "I already am a magical girl. I can do magic, I just tend to mess up a little." Really, it wasn't like _nothing _happened when she cast a spell.

The Kyuubey seemed insistent, because it stepped forward and placed a paw on Louise's leg. "No, you are a girl who can do magic. Very, very inefficient magic. If you make a contract with me, you will become a magical girl!"

There was a brief silence as Louise was taken aback slightly. Her familiar seemed to understand her magic. Failing as it was. No; inefficient, that was a far better term. She'd have to reward her familiar for thinking of that. Still, what was this magical girl nonsense? "Familiar, when you say magical girl you mean..." Louise drifted off, not sure what to ask.

"A magical girl spreads hope!" It picked up for Louise. "They protect the world with powerful magic granted by their soul gem. A soul gem is born from the wish granted when a girl becomes a magical girl. I can make you a magical girl, that is why I am here." Both its front paws were resting on Louise now.

Louise as stunned. Her familiar seemed sincere if nothing else. It may be wrong about its own abilities, but she was sure it was not lying. The part of Louise that protected her from giving up was cautious, getting her hopes up for something so outlandish was a bad idea. However, a small part of her remembered the goals of the familiar summoning ritual. A familiar was supposed to be summoned to aid a mage in the way they need most. A potion maker like Montmorency got a rare toad whose poison was an invaluable asset to her. Kirche was no doubt bound for the Germanian military was granted a powerful salamander to defend her. Maybe Louise herself had summoned a familiar to help her with her magic problems?

Allowing herself some slight hope, Louise decided to inquire further. "So besides invisibility and telepathy, you are able to make grant magic? That seems rather outlandish familiar." It wasn't that she believed her familiar, she was just a kind enough master to indulge it. Quite.

The white creature shook its head. "I don't grant magic, at least not directly. If you make a contract with me, then you get one wish in exchange for becoming a magical girl. The wish itself brings forth your soul gem. The soul gem is what grants a magical girl her magic."

Raising an eyebrow, Louise asked disbelievingly, "You say I'd get a wish? As in, any wish? And in exchange I _get _magic? That seems too good to be true." She had been raised on a good many stories involving wishes granting more than what the wisher wanted.

"Well, you summoned me from very, very far away. I helped make magical girls to fight witches. Normal girls get a wish, and in exchange become a magical girl to fight witches.

Ah, that made a little more sense. "And a witch is?" Louise inquired further.

"If magical girls a born from wishes, witches are born from curses. If magical girls spread hope, witches spread despair." The Kyuubey proceeded to step back as Louise straightened up. An ominous air surrounded her familiar's words. The serious way it spoke contrasted heavily to its usual cheer. Louise could only fearfully respect whatever could inspire such sobriety in the creature before her. "A magical girl's duty is to fight and defeat witches, protecting the world from them. Witches cannot be detected by normal humans, just like me, so they can prey on humans unhindered if not for magical girls."

These witches seemed dangerous, yet Louise had never heard of any _actual_ witches; only mages pretending to be something more sinister. If there was a threat as ominous as these witches and no one knew of them...

"However, there are no witches around here, so you don't have to fight any."

Louise released the breath she didn't know she was holding. "Familiar!" She flicked the Kyuubey's head in retaliation. "Don't scare me like that!" Jesse, working up a non-existent threat like that.

"But even though there are no witches here, I can still make you a magical girl! Don't you have a wish you'd like fulfilled Louise?"

Louise pondered a moment. There were several things she could think of. The respect and admiration of her peers. Making her a square mage in every element. Making that Zerbst, Kirche, ugly and flat. However, there was one problem with all of that.

"Even if I make a wish, and get these great magical powers... It would just be handed to me." Louise said with resignation. "Without hard work and sacrifice, any reward is meaningless." Those were the words her mother had encouraged her with when Louise had worked so hard to get _any_result from her spell casting. Back when not even explosions accompanied her failures.

Her familiar tilted its head to the side. "I don't get it. Most people would jump at the chance for a wish and power."

Louise looked at her small friend and smiled softly. "I guess now that I finally proved I _can _do magic by summoning you, I want to succeed on my own merits." Louise rubbed her confused familiar's head. The thing relented to her petting, closing its eyes and pushing back against her hand.

It was getting late, and Louise looked out toward the setting sun. Westward, toward her family's estate. Thoughts of her kindhearted elder sister filled her. If she had one wish, Louise knew what it would be. "I guess I have one wish I could make, but it isn't urgent right now and I'm sure she'd be okay with waiting just a little longer for me. It is selfish, but I'm going to wait for now."

That certainly piqued her familiar's attention. "So you will make a wish and become a magical girl?" Jeese, this little Kyuubey had a one track mind.

Smiling at the naiveté of her familiar, Louise continued to pet it, "Yes, yes. But only after I manage to graduate on my own merits, you'll have to wait until then."

Her familiar took a moment to respond, before finally conceding. "Okay then. I guess I can't change your mind. Humans are can be so odd."

"I guess we can." Louise conceded.

* * *

><p>The following day was closer to normal for Valliere than the last. She avoided talking to her peers, and they avoided associating with her. Her familiar had made itself scarce this morning, off to mingle with the other familiars no doubt. Without its presence and her peers' attitudes swinging back to normal, Louise almost forgot things had changed. Almost being the key word. A small amount of true confidence remained in her; renewing her vigor at trying to improve in her classes. She even volunteered for an exercise. She failed of course, but she had <em>tried<em>. Next time, the explosion would be less destructive, she promised herself. Now that she had proof of magic, it was only a matter of hard work.

It during the afternoon break that Louise found herself sitting out eating in the courtyard. The weather was nice and it felt good to be in the sun. As usual Louise made sure to sit apart from her peers. It was more habit now than the usual need to avoid notice. Looking back toward the main group of tables, Louise spied her classmates were all acting in their usual manner.

Kirche could be seen out being fawned over by half a dozen men; Tabitha nearby reading. It was always funny to see those men turned down by Tabitha when they got the idea to reach Kirche through her best friend. Guiche de Gramont was off chasing skirts, no doubt two-timing. Some men were just dogs. Louise would feel sorry for Montmorency if the girl wasn't one of her more vocal tormentors. That girl might even love that dog Guiche.

"Z- er... Louise."

A voice from behind nearly caused Louise to have a heart attack. Turning, Louise came face to face with none other than Montmorency. The Curly-haired blonde stood there fidgeting, not quite making eye contact, though obviously trying. Louise said nothing, too surprised in truth. What could Montmorency possibly have to say to her? It was Montmorency who finally broke the awkward silence.

"Er... I- I'm sorry."

Of all the things Louise expected, an apology wasn't even close to one of them. "For what?" Louise asked honestly, she could think of no recent slight Montmorency had done her. At least, nothing that stood out beyond the usual.

Those two words were enough to break the dam. Montmorency barely held back tears as she shakily ranted. "For everything! For teasing you. For looking down on you. For thinking at least I'm not like you. For calling you a zero. I... It was cruel of me. So very cruel."

Oh, _that_.

People were beginning to look toward the two of them, and Montmorency's discomfort was showing. The girl hadn't spoken loud enough to be overheard, but it was still an odd scene to see someone talking to Louise; and so flustered as well. "Would you sit?"

Louise offered Montmorency an out, and the girl took it hungrily. "Thank you." She said, sitting so fast she must have hurt her rump. "I... I am really sorry."

A part of Louise wanted to rub it in to Montmorency, but it was only that small part of evil that resides within all human hearts. It was easily squashed by Louise's desire for friendship. "I forgive you." Louise said honestly. Truly, she was rather touched at Montmorency's honest words.

Montmorency, who had been on the verge of tears, was obviously stunned at the how quickly Louise forgave her. "That's it?"

Reaching into her pocket, Louise retrieved her clean silk handkerchief and gave it to Montmorency. "That's it." Louise confirmed as the girl proceeded to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Really, I'm more interested on what brought this on." Louise gestured to her tablemate, and the sorry state of the girl.

Finishing the delicate process of wiping eyes without mucking up her make-up, Montmorency spoke with a steadied voice, trying to keep it from shaking again. "Yesterday at the summoning ritual. I could see your familiar." Louise raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "I was summoned just before you, and I think some of my magic must have still been in the circle when you summoned, so whatever allowed you to see your familiar, allowed me as well." That made some sense, Louise supposed.

"I didn't say anything when everyone laughed and called you crazy. I was afraid of being singled out." Ah, of being lumped in with the zero. "So I kept quiet, and waited for everything to be over. I was so _scared_. I was scared of being treated like I treated you, and I hated myself for it."

Montmorency's voice began to shake again, and Louise placed a hand on Montmorency's to steady the girl. "Thank you." Louise spoke through tears of her own, unknowingly shed. Montmorency looked up, and gripped Louise's hand with hers. The two stood there in silence for a moment, no more words needed to be spoken.

The sweet moment was broken a great ring of the school bell. Signaling the start of the second wave of classes. The ring broke the two from their prolonged silence and they quickly began awkwardly collecting their things. "I guess I'll see you in class." Louise spoke with an awkward laugh.

Montmorency smiled back. "I'll save you a seat."

It was a simple gesture, but it meant the world to Louise. The Valliere watched Montmorency turn to leave, only to drop her bag. "Guiche?" There was stilled surprise in her voice as Montmorency noticed her boyfriend in locked hand with a first year. Across the courtyard Guiche sat at a table holding hands with a first year and looking deeply into her eyes.

Louise was sure that any other time the spitfire that was Montmorency would not abide such a betrayal and give that dog Guiche a tongue lashing he wouldn't soon forget. However, now was not any average time; Montmorency had just finished baring her emotions. Instead of confronting the man, the blonde girl ran off toward the dormitories without a word; trailing tears as she did.

Fury and sympathy swelled within Louise in equal knew better than to chase Montmorency, the girl would not want visitors right now, such shame was not to be borne to any but the closest of friends. Though Louise could not seek to comfort the girl, she could certainly fill her role in disciplining a stray dog.

Louise was before the blonde fop of a child before she even processed her decision. The resounding slap filled the courtyard, echoing over the bustling students. Flabbergasted, Guiche looked back at Louise. He daintily touched his cheek, unbelieving he had been struck.

"Guiche de Gramont, I challenge you to a duel!"


	3. Chapter 3: Golems: Not Always the Answer

Chapter 3: Golems: Not Always the Answer

The stunned look upon the disbelieving face of the young Gramont slowly shifted into one of bafflement. "Miss Louise, what have I done to offend such a gentle maiden as you?" He rose and made to grab Louise's hand gently, so as to calm the girl.

His honeyed words had no effect upon the 'gentle maiden.' With as much force as she could muster, Louise slapped his hand away. "You offend me with your existence, you two timing dog!"

Guiche raised his eyebrows in surprise; he had never made a move on the Valliere. Was she simply mad at his actions with others? "Ah, I fear you are mistaken my dear." Guiche spoke sweetly, so as to calm one of the fairer sex. "I am no dog, I am a rose. A rose that blooms for the pleasure of all."

The Valliere's eyes only narrowed, Guiche's charm seemingly ineffective. "Ha! A rose that blooms for all? Yet you make sure only one views your petals at a time, lest they see the weed you truly are!"

However lenient Guiche was to the outbursts of the fairer sex, he could only bare so many insults without inquiry. Taking care to hide his deep, calming breath, Guiche tried yet again to calm his aggressor. "Surely there is a mistake Miss Louise, what have I done tha-"

"Montmorency saw you dallying about with this girl of the week, you dolt!"

Louise roughly gestured to the first year who was still frozen in her seat. The girl of the week seemed to put two and two together from Louise's words, and her stunned expression became stern. Guiche muttering "Montmorency..." under his breath only solidified her growing suspicions.

"Is that what I am!" The chestnut haired girl asked? "Some dalliance to you Guiche?" The girl rose, her accusing eyes searched Guiche, and found only guilt as he failed to come up with a suitable lie. In a huff, the young first year turned and strode away.

Guiche, apparently not willing to quit while he was behind, trotted after her and grabbed her hand. "Katie, it's not like that!" His uninjured cheek was quickly reddened to match its counterpart when the girl displayed just what she thought of Guiche. Slapped, for the second time in as many minutes, Guiche let the girl leave. Rounding on Louise, Guiche let a small bit of his anger out. "Why would you even do this? How are you involved at all Zero?"

Louise was taken aback at the mention of her hurtful nickname. Yet, it would not stop her. She had a reason she was doing this, puffing out her chest in pride, Louise declared, "Montmorency is my friend!" That stopped Guiche, anyone who had class with the two, knew they were anything but friends. "And since she is currently unable to defend her honor, I will. Now, duel me Guiche!"

Louise may have insulted him, struck him, and thoroughly embarrassed him, but Guiche was not about to be drawn into a duel with a maiden. "Listen, Louise. Even if there were not laws against nobles dueling, let alone students, I would not duel you. I would never strike a maiden such as you."

Guiche, having made his refined exit speech, turned to leave for class, only to stop when Louise drew her wand and pointed at him. "Guiche de Gramont, I am not giving you a choice in this matter."

Guiche's eyes narrowed for a moment. He could think of no way out of this situation. Louise was dead set on ignoring every opportunity he gave her to leave. "Very well Miss Valliere, but remember this was a result of your own stubbornness."

The crowd of students that had slowly appeared took several steps back, feeling the tension in the air. Servants desperately tied to carry off the tables so as to protect the expensive furniture. In moments, the world quieted as the ring of students closed, leaving only the Gramont and Valliere within. A rose, enchant by Guiche himself appeared in his hand. He quickly raised it before him in salute. "I am Guiche de Gramont, and I am present to defend my honor against slanderous accusations."

Louise returned the salute with her own wand. "I am Louise Francoise Le Blanc de La Valliere, and I am present to defend the honor of Montmorency Margarita la Fère de Montmorency."

With the salute, the duel had begun, yet neither opponent moved. Guiche eyed his surrounding suspiciously. "How do I know that familiar of yours isn't about?"

Louise smirked, and returned the slight with one of her own. "You needn't fear cheating from me Guiche, you are the only one with experience in that."

Guiche stiffed his annoyance with a strained smile and instead spoke one final warning. "I'll give you one last chance Valliere. My father is a general, he would not let his son be unfit to fight."

Louise would have none of it. Responding to his taunt with an incantation, Louise grabbed for the power within her. The ring of students took several steps back, clearly remembering Louise's past attempts at magic. Even Guiche looked slightly panicked when Louise cried out, "Fireball!" A powerful explosion dug a crater big enough to make a grave out of appeared nearly two hundred paces from the ring of students, far beyond Guiche.

The Gramont let out a sigh, realizing the danger had passed. Dangerous as her failures were, Louise still casted failures. Failures in result _and_ aim. Flicking his rose wand, Guiche scattered several petals, raising four unarmed golems, each a bronze statue of a valkyrie.

Louise herself grimaced. If Guiche had summoned his golems without their usual spears, he no doubt intended for them to grapple her and end the fight. She couldn't be caught by them. Being pinned by constructs and forced to surrender would be the most humiliating way to lose. Maybe another fireball? No, her aim was atrocious, what if she hit a bystander instead?

A golem rushed forward, breaking Louise from her thoughts. Keeping her footing solid, Louise desperately tried to remember what her mother had taught her. Surprising even herself, Louise managed to dance away from both the first and second attempt to grapple her, darting around and behind the golem. Too late Louise realized she was now between four golems. She had to move, now! Louise jumped to the side, or at least tried. The grounds gave out beneath her and she slipped to grass. The mud that greeted her reminded Louise what Guiche was exactly: an earth mage.

Louise cursed transmutation magic with all her soul as she rolled over, attempting to get up before the golems reached her, only to see four shapes almost upon her. Damn transmutation!

Guiche watched as his trap worked perfectly. He had been surprised at how spry the small Valliere had been, but a transmutation left her toppled, easy prey for his magnificent golems. Now to hold her down and graciously accept her apology. Guiche expected to even swoon her fiery heart with his graciousness.

However, Guiche did _not_ expect one of his golems to explode, sending the other three sprawling in shattered lumps. Muddied, singed and on her back, Louise had raised her wand in defense. Had she managed to correct her aim in one attempt? Slowly, Louise rose to her feet. "Thanks for the idea Guiche. Transmutation really is useful." Had the girl attempted to transmute his golems? Suddenly, Guiche remembered what happened every time Louise transmuted something: that something exploded.

When the girl started moving toward him, Guiche could only guess how she intended to correct her aim. Frantically, Guiche summoned more golems, sending them toward her, hoping to stop her. Louise kept a slow, steady stride, so as to not trip in any transmuted ground. Each golem met her, and each golem shattered in explosive failure. Smoke billowed across the ring, which was increasingly resembling a battlefield with bronze limbs being scattered with each destroyed golem.

It was moments before Louise was upon him, summoning the last of his willpower, Guiche created five golems at once, each in mid pounce upon the Valliere. The resounding explosions clouded the entire ring in smoke, Guiche could not even see beyond his nose. Fearfully, he stared through the black soot, hoping to find an exhausted opponent, only to find it clearing around the point of a wand, centimeters from his face. His legs gave out in fear of just what that wand was capable of. Was this the end?

"Guiche de Gramont, admit defeat."

The sound was accompanied by an unrecognizable Louise Valliere as the smoke finished dissipating. Her clothing was ragged. She was covered in mud, soot, and flecks of bronze. Her pink hair was frazzled beyond what any single comb could fix.

And her eyes held no room for anything but surrender.

"I- I forfeit." Guiche stuttered out from where he sat.

The resounding cheers from the students collected alerted the entire academy that something momentous had just happened. Louise returned her wand to her pocket and ignored the crowd. Looking down on Guiche like one looks at refuse. "Think long and hard about your actions Guiche. You may lie to everyone, but at least be truthful with yourself."

With that, Louise turned and walked way, stopping only when Guiche cried out, "That's it?"

"That's it." She replied simply, sparing him nothing more.

* * *

><p>Louise was probably the most dirty she had been in her entire life, yet she was also the proudest. If her mother could see her now... That proper military woman would surely take pride in such a fight, then probably tell her to take a bath, or three. With that thought, Louise found herself retrieving some spare clothing from her room. Classes could be skipped, she needed that bath.<p>

With a twist of her key, Louise closed the lock on her door and strode down the hallway. However, before she could get that bath, Louise had one stop to make. With a soft rap on the door, Louise called out, "Montmorency, you in there?" Louise s a little surprise that the door moved at her knock, unlatched apparently. The door swung inward revealing a mussed up, but no longer crying Montmorency, sitting on the bed with her frog, and Louise's Kyuubey much to her surprise.

Montmotency jumped at the intrusion, causing Louise to jump as well. "S-sorry, it was unlatched..." Louise quickly began closing the door.

"N-no. It's okay." Montmorency called out to her. "Your familiar was just comforting me." Louise doubted the naive Kyuubey was capable of comforting intentionally, but it was cute enough and a bit better to pet than a frog. Stepping inside, Louise closed the door behind her. "What happened to you?" Montmorency asked. Ah, Louise definitely looked to be the worse of the two.

"Er... I messed up in class again." Louise fibbed a little. "I was on my way to the baths, and I figured you would like to come along."

Montmorency brightened up at that. "That sounds like a good idea." The girl quickly made to collect some spare clothing. She avoided eye contact, obviously embarrassed of her make up streaming down her face. Hurrying over, Montmorency held out a small rag, stained completely with all kinds of multicolored liquid. "Here, this is yours."

Louise nearly giggled, realizing it was her handkerchief. "You keep it Mon." Opening the door, Louise stepped out, "Now let's go get that bath."

* * *

><p>Maybe truancy was not such a bad thing. Louise thought to herself as she relaxed in the girls' bath. The entire area was empty save for Louise, Montmorency, and their familiars. So far they had chatted about little things, gossiped about Kirche's lasted conquest, and talked about how much of a dick Guiche was. The last one had left Montmorency drained, and she was half dozing as her frog swam around her.<p>

Louise had turned her attention to her familiar, who was currently drying at the edge of the bath. "Where have you been all day." She sighed. "A familiar should stay close to their masters." With a flick to its forehead, Louise halfheartedly scolded her familiar.

The little Kyuubey shook its head, annoyed at her flick. "I was investigating this land." It explained.

Well, that made a little sense, it was apparently from very far away. Louise would let it slide for now. Besides, there were more pressing matters. The familiar talent show was coming up, and despite the magnificence of her familiar, its invisibility didn't lend itself to anything flashy. Having it pick anything up would reveal exactly how big it was to everyone, and lose some of its mystique. Besides, even flaunting its invisibility wouldn't win out over Tabitha's wind dragon. Maybe she would just not participate, it was technically required, but no one enforced the competition.

Ah, no use thinking about it. Louise sunk a little into the bath. If deciding whether or not to show off her familiar was her biggest problem, then things were really looking up.

*****Elsewhere******

Miss Longueville, the headmasters secretary, inspected the abandoned impromptu dueling grounds. By all accounts, the Valliere had destroyed the Gramont's golems by attempting to transmute them. The cogs in the secretary's head began turning. By all accounts, everything this girl touched exploded. Even triangle class enchanted clay that Madam Chevreuse created for her classes exploded. Now, could such magic destroy even square level enchantments? That idea brought a smile to Miss Longueville's face. Sometimes golems are not the best choice.


	4. Chapter 4: Failures

Chapter 4: Failures

"Now get along with your classmates. Find some friends, some good friends. Even if it is just one; a close friend is better than a mountain of false ones." Louise's older sister Cattleya spoke those words to her as Louise was ushered off the school. Sometimes, Cattleya acted more like a mother than her older sister. However, worrying older sisters aside, Louise never knew how true her words were until now. The last couple days had been the happiest she'd had in a very long time. Montmorency and she had eaten meals together, chatted about silly things, and sat next to each other during class. Louise had never imagined such simple things would bring such joy.

After classes Montmorency had even taken to trying to help her learn water magic. The girl had insisted her familiar's invisibility must be water based, as there was apparently a square level water spell that refracted light around the user. If there was, Louise hadn't heard of it, but she wasn't about to turn away her friends help. While the two had been unable to get anything but an explosion from Louise, they _had_ managed to get a smaller explosion, only digging a fist sized crater where into the ground where a glass of water used to be rather than a head sized crater. It was progress.

In return, Louise had taken to helping Montmorency with her bookwork. Louise made sure to excel in all forms of non practical magic, she had to, lest she flunk out based on her practical failures. It was in their second second day as friends that they found themselves in Louise's room, finishing up studying for Professor Colbert's exam on the use of fire magic in smithing. The man certainly liked to push the more constructive aspects of the war element.

The two shared Louise's small table exchanging notes and helping each other with various topics. Montmorency's frog was left to atop the dresser. The small amphibian stared impassively at Louise's Kyuubey who was idly swishing its tail back and forth from the bed.

They were just about done when Montmorency spoke in a serious tone, drawing a curious glance from Louise. "I heard about what you did." Louise tilted her head to the side, what could she be talking about. "About the duel with Guiche."

Oh. Louise was surprised she had forgotten about it. The thrill of a new friend had overridden pretty much everything else. "Yeah... Sorry about that." Louise embarrassingly apologized. It might not have been the wisest choice to beat up her friends crush.

"Don't be." Montmorency giggled at her friend's sheepishness. "That dog needed a good whooping, he's fine now anyways. The only thing you really hurt was his pride." Montmorency spared a smirk at Guiche's expense. "I may even not break up with him, seeing as he hasn't been chasing skirts lately."

That surprised Louise, raising her eyebrows she jested, "You don't suppose I broke him?" The two friends laughed in unison.

Their laughter subsided and the two closed their books, finishing their studies for the night. It was getting late anyways, and Louise needed a good sleep before the test. "Hey Louise." Montmorency spoke up once again. finishing stowing her books in her bag. "Can your familiar really grant wishes?"

Realizing its powers were in question, the little familiar hopped upright and jumped over to the table. "I can! Did you think of one Montmorency?"

Louise suppressed a sigh, that Kyuubey had a one track mind when it comes wishing, she doubted it would relent without a sufficient rebuff. "It definitely thinks it can, and the rest of its abilities _are_ exotic." The beings tail swished back and forth, still waiting for Montmorency's answer.

Montmorency twirled one of her blonde curls, as she often did while thinking. "I'm still surprised it can talk... er, well communicate as it does. It really startled me when it found me in such a mess."

Louise raised an eyebrow, putting two and two together. "You little scamp." She pointed accusingly at her familiar. "You were off trying to get a maiden to agree to your wishing contract while she was recovering from an ordeal." She reached over and flicked the Kyuubey's forehead, causing it to shake of it's annoyed head. "For shame, and all to prove your wish granting skills."

The Kyuubey tilted its head and closed its eyes, "But I _can_ grant your wish."

Montmorency held up a placating hand, calming the irate Louise. "I'm sure he was just trying to comfort me." Louise relented, the little Kyuubey really didn't know any better. "To answer your question little Kyuubey, I have no wish right now, I still need to think of one." The two girls shared a glance, better not call the little thing on its boasts of wish granting skills. The poor thing didn't need any more punishment.

Kyuubey jumped back over to the bed and flopped over, realizing it wasn't going to get to grant a wish tonight. "You humans can be so odd."

Montmorency giggled as she collected her things, grabbing her frog from the dresser, she made for Louise's door. "I'll see you tomorrow Louise, for breakfast?" Louise smiled and nodded to her friend, and the girl left, her frog ribbiting from her bag was the last they heard before the door closed.

Louise finished her nightly ritual, preparing her things for the following day, dressing down into her pajamas, and giving her familiar a quick pet. It wasn't long before Louise moved to extinguish her light. With a smile, Louise climbed into bed, and drifted off to sleep.

Or she would have, if not for three solid raps on her door. Who could it be this late at night? She had just been about to fall asleep! Taking care not to wake her familiar, Louise quietly pulled on a pair of panties and grabbed her robe. Lighting a candle, Louise carried the light over to the door and opened it, revealing Miss Longueville, the headmaster's secretary. "My apologies for the lateness Miss Valliere," she began, "but the headmaster was quite insistent you be brought to his office. He's not too happy about the duel."

Louise froze, she had thought she'd gotten off without punishment since she had barely harmed Guiche physically; but apparently the headmaster just took a few days to hear of it. Panic subsided into resignation, and Louise weakly smiled, "I'll just get dressed. One moment."

Miss Longueville grabbed the door lightly, stopping Louise from closing it. "That's..." She paused, looking slightly anxious. "We should hurry. The Headmaster is in a foul mood and he best not be kept waiting."

Louise took a moment to process the statement, then nodded. Dueling was grounds for expulsion, even bloodless duels were technically subject to that rule, and this late at night the headmaster was likely to be grumpy. It would be best to not keep him waiting. "Okay." Louise meekly agreed, and followed the secretary out of her room.

The two wound their way through the corridors of the school. It took a moment for Louise to realize they were not heading toward the headmasters office. Worried about the implications, Louise spoke up, "Miss Longueville, where are we going?"

The secretary looked over her shoulder at Louise and offered a comforting smile. "This is a less traveled way to the headmaster's office, it avoids any place students like to retreat to during the night. I thought you wouldn't want to be seen by a boy out passed his curfew."

Sighing with relief, Louise relaxed as they turned down another corridor. Miss Longueville was a rather kind lady. They were passing down yet another lonely corridor when Louise heard something squeak.

It was so faint that Louise believed she had misheard. Louise almost collided with the secretary leading her when Miss Longueville stopped abruptly in front of a pair of double doors. "Why are we stopping?" Louise inquired.

Miss Longueville offered another comforting smile and said, "I think I heard something." The squeak came again, this time Louise was sure she heard it. The noise was coming from beyond the double doors. Drawing her wand, the secretary pulled open the door. Peering inside, Louise dropped her candle at the sight that greeted her.

Bound in rope and gagged, Montmorency squeaked through her cloth filled mouth at Louise, fear in her eyes as she recognized her friend. "Oh that's right!" A mocking voice came from behind Louise. "I left a hostage in this room." The secretary's voice sent chills up Louise's spine. On instinct, Louise's hand darted for her wand, only to find her pocket empty. Whirling on the secretary, Louise found her own wand in the fiend's off hand. "Ah, I should mention I'm a master thief, so pickpocketing really is child's play."

Louise's next instinct was to scream, only for her mouth to be blocked by a earthen hand. The floor erupted with animated stone hands. Grasping the struggling Louise firmly. Even screaming with all her might, only a small squeak escaped. Her squeak joined Montmorency's own as they tried to summon help. Dammit, where was an invisible familiar when you needed one!? "Oh do stop that children. I've already placed an enchantment to soundproof this room." The secretary drawled out, annoyed at their struggles.

The older woman just closed the doors to the room and leaned against them, waiting for her two captives to tire out. It took a couple minutes, but the two bound girls eventually were reduced to panting though their noses, tired from constantly trying to call for help. "Now that I have your attention." Longueville began, meeting Louise's eyes. To the girl's credit, Longueville would have been dead several times over if looks could kill. "I'll introduce myself. Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth, at your service." The thief bowed theatrically, enjoying the moment.

Louise was shocked, she had heard of Fouquet, the great thief who plagued many a noble, but for such a figure to be here, at her own academy, the headmaster's secretary no less! Sensing recognition in Louise's eyes, Fouquet continued. "Ah, my reputation precedes me. Then I supposed I can skip the speeches." Gesturing with her wand, Fouquet caused the stone floor to grow up and around Montmorency. The flowing stone grasped her head and forced it to the ground, then began rising above her. The stone formed into a small tower, its shape caused Louise to freeze with fear. A transmuted stone guillotine held her friend's struggling neck in its grasp.

Louise whipped her eyes back to Fouquet, struggling anew against her bindings. "Mph Mmph!" She screamed in fury.

With a sigh, Fouquet waved off the pointless efforts of her captive. "Relax, I'm not about to kill her as long as you do a little something for me." Louise paused, willing to do anything to save her friend. Fouquet smiled at Louise's relent. This plan might work after all. "I'll put it simply," she began, "I need something from the school vault. You are going to help me get it. Try anything funny, and I forget to keep levitating that nice stone blade. Simple right?" Louise searched the thief for any falsehood, but found none. Relenting, Louise nodded as best she could, eliciting another smile from their captor. "Now I'm going to let you go now. I have to concentrate to keep your friend there alive, so don't do anything surprising, or I might slip up. you understand."

Nodding once again, Louise felt the stone hands grasping her release and fade back into the floor. Soon, she stood on her own power. "Just what do you want me to do." She asked meekly, fear for her friend evident in her voice.

Fouquet smiled a wicked grin. "See that wall?" She gestured to the wall opposite Montmorency. "Beyond that is the vault. I hear you can do some odd things with transmutations. I want you to open the way."

Louise stood stock still. The walls to the school vault were enchanted with square level protection charms. For her failures to bypass them; was this thief mad? "I can't possibly-"

"You better hope you can little girl." The thief interrupted, her intent clear. Fouquet held out Louise's wand, only to hold it back momentarily when Louise made to grab it. "No funny business, okay?" Louise quickly nodded, not trusting her voice, and grabbed her wand.

A squeak from behind her drew Louise's gaze to her endangered friend. Montmorency's eyes were wide with fear. Trying to summon enough courage for the two of them, Louise forced a smile, "Don't worry, I can do this."

With her friend and her enemy at her back, Louise strode up to the wall adjoining the school vault. If there was ever a time Louise wished for destruction it was now. She focused everything she had on the wall in front of her. Transmute all of it. Destroy everything before her. "_Rin EX Cal_." she chanted. With one final incantation, Louise poured everything she had, everything she could ever have, into the spell before her.

"_Please work!_"

The resounding crash that exploded out before her was unlike anything Louise had summoned before. The wall before her _ceased _to be. The wall beyond that, _ceased_ to be. The mountains themselves would have woken to the tremendous sound of the explosion. Dumbstruck, Louise could only stare though the rapidly clearing smoke. What looked like what was used to be the vault was before her, only now it was a vault with no walls. The inner walls were destroyed, and a large hole had been ripped in the thick outer wall, revealing the night sky.

Fouquet plucked Louise's wand from her hand. "That _is_ amazing." The thief admitted. "And they call you a failure? Ever consider a career in safe-cracking?" Louise snapped back to her senses, reeling toward Montmorency, only to be stopped as those damn transmuted hands rose up to grasp her. "Ah, can't have you causing any more of a ruckus." The thief stepped into the vault, looking around for whatever she came for.

Louise forced her head toward the thief, struggling against her animated bindings. "Mmph! Mmph!" She cried out, trying to remind the thief of her word.

Fouquet looked back at her captives and sighed. "Ah, well I know I promised you one thing. But you know... Witnesses." Louise felt a pit of fear well up in her stomach as the thief nonchalantly shrugged. "Sorry, but you two have to die." Shaking her head, the thief raised her wand. Was this it? Louise had just begun to live!

A small noise drew the thief's attention downward as her foot brushed up against some more ruble. "Ah!" She exclaimed, bending down and drawing out a battered box from below the broken pieces of wall. "Still in one piece, how lucky!" Fouquet hugged the chest sized box happily. With a sigh, the thief realized it was time to finish up. Turning back to her captives, Fouquet prepared to finish the job, only to pause when she found them looking far happier then they should be. "Ah, don't think I'll be sharing the spoils with you girls."

"_Air bullet_."

A soft voice alerted Fouquet to a new party. On instinct, the thief threw herself to the side. A ball of magically compressed air soared beyond her and impacted the now useless treasury doors. As she rolled, Fouquet saw a second ball of air crash into the guillotine threatening her hostages life, shattering the stone construct. Whirling to her feet, the thief found a hovering dragon outside the newly created vault 'window'. This girl was a student, Tabitha if Fouquet remembered correctly. "It's been less than a minute! How are you _already_ here!" The thief complained, pointing her own wand in return to Tabitha's staff.

"_Calm night, good for flying practice._" Tabitha replied sternly, looking for an opening.

The standoff was tense, each ready to counterspell the other. Though they both new time was on Tabitha's side, she had to only wait for help to arrive. In a gamble, Fouqet dived toward Louise, sending a wall of ruble to intercept Tabitha's casted wind. Louise felt her bindings falter as Fouquet's willpower was divided. Never so thankful for her small frame. With all her might she wriggled from the grasp of the earthen hands and whirled on the oncoming thief.

With no wand, Louise could only lash out a the thief. With one hand grasping her wand, and the other cradling her prize, Fouquet was at a disadvantage when Louise grasped grasped her wand hand, ripping the magical foci from her. "You little brat!" Fouquet hissed lashing out and slapping Louise across the cheek, sending the girl whirling. Dropping her prize, Fouquet grabbed the Louise's arm and hauled her toward her as a body shield.

None to soon, as Tabitha was already off her dragon and closing the distance between them. Withdrawing Louise's wand from her pocket, Fouquet pointed it at her shield's temple. Tabitha's staff froze inches from Fouquets face. Both mages read each other sternly, incantations on their lips. "Want to see what bullet is faster? Your air or my stone?" The hovering pebble inches from Louise's temple trembled with unreleased magic.

The tension could have been cut with a knife. Moments passed like hours as Tabitha studied the thief, until finally, the small girl lowered her staff and took a step back. Smiling, Fouquet muttered an incantation. Stone hands wrapped themselves around Louise and the box on the ground. "Now I'm going to leave here with my hostage, and you are going to stay here with that lovely lady there." Fouquet gestured to the still bound Montmorency. "Are we clear?"

"Clear." Tabitha replied.

Louise found herself moving as the hand spouted numerous legs and began plodding toward the window. A sharp glance from Fouquet was all that was needed for Tabitha to signal her dragon to retreat. "I salute you, young student. Tonight you _almost_ caught Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth." With that, Fouquet jumped out the window, towing her prize and Louise with her.

Tabitha rushed to the window, fearing the worst. However, a rapidly forming giant stone golem greeted her. Its right hand grasping a struggling Louise, and its shoulder supporting a triumphant looking thief. "The girl dies if I catch you following!" Fouquet called out, willing her golem to turn and retreat toward the countryside. The last thing Tabitha heard from the thief was triumphant laughter.

Aboard the golem, Louise watched as her home away from home disappeared into the night. Captive, wandless, and in her pajamas, she held back fearful tears.


	5. Chapter 5: It Began in the Forest

****_Edited: Stupid keeps auto editing out by page breaks.**  
><strong>_

**Chapter 5: It Began in the Forest**

Knees held tightly to her chest, Louise sat curled up in the back of the covered wagon. Every bump in the road jostled her body up and down, her bound wrists and ankles burned as the rope dug into her skin. It was humiliating. Gagged and trussed up like a pig, she sat motionless. She had given up trying to free herself from her bonds several hours ago; the thief's knots were too good for Louise to wriggle free.

The thief herself sat at the front of the wagon, intermittently checking on the captive behind her. The woman had dropped into a very serious mood as soon as the escape began in earnest, only giving small, terse orders to her captive.

They had been traveling non stop since last night and far into the morning. After escaping into the forest, Fouquet had dissolved her golem before binding her captive and hauling her to a hidden wagon, from there, they had taken a trail through the forest to an old, lonely road, and plodded along. With each passing hour, the thief had become more relaxed, and Louise had become more depressed. If she wasn't found by now, it was doubtful rescue would be coming any time soon.

Looking out the covered wagon's open back, trees became countryside and became trees again. Louise had no idea how far they were from the school, the golem had moved incredibly fast, and the wagon kept a brisk pace.

Louise tilted over when the wagon stopped abruptly. Looking up, she saw Fouquet hop off the front of the wagon and unbind the horse, leading it over to a hitch with some hay next to a stone cottage of sorts. Louise's breath caught. Were they a safe distance away from the academy? Would she now be killed? Bound as she was, Louise suppressed her fear and steeled herself when the thief approached the back of the wagon, a thin dagger drawn. If Louise was to die, she would die like a Valliere. She glared at her captor, meeting the gaze of the fiend. Yet, when the knife was drawn up, she could only close her eyes in fear. She wasn't supposed to die now, not so soon after her life started improving!

A slackness on her legs caused Louise to weekly open her eyes, and find the thief cutting through her bindings. The thief returned the dagger to it's sheath once Louise's ankle's were free, leaving her wrists bound. "I'm going to remove your gag. You start screaming, and it goes back on and you get no food." Louise nodded suspiciously, why would this thief even seek to feed her? Wasn't she going to kill her not even a day ago?

When Fouquet finished untying the gag, Louise opened her sore mouth and stretched her jaw, clearing up some minor numbness. "Come then." The thief picked the small girl up out of the wagon and set her upon the ground. "Into the cottage." The order was clear, and Louise had no way of denying it, so she plodded along to the cottage, not saying a word.

The inside of the cottage was humble. One room with a bed, a small kitchen, and a tiny table with two simple wooden chairs. A firm hand on her shoulder pushed Louise forward, and sat her down at the table. Louise sat, cautiously trying to read her captor as the thief retrieved some bread and jerky from a sack, setting a small portion before Louise. "Eat up." Louise's stomach left no room for argument and she greedily tore into the humble meal. It was almost noon and she had eaten neither breakfast nor lunch, not something the young noble was used to.

Finishing up the last of her crumbs, Louise looked up to find the thief amused. Realizing she had been eating entirely improperly, Louise fumed with indigence, yet suppressed any outburst, she didn't need to give this thief any reason to harm her. "Bed." The thief said simple, gesturing old bed in the corner.

Louise looked up and once again tried to read the odd woman, what was she up to? Apparently she took to long, as the thief sighed before grabbing Louise's wrists and leading her to the bed. "You sleep here, don't get clever." The thief said as she bound the rope between Louise's wrists to the bedpost.

Not sparing her captive a second glance, Fouquet left the house for reasons unknown. Louise jerked her hands against her bindings, and found them as secure as ever. There would be no lucky escape right now. Minutes passed and Louise fought the growing urge to sleep. She hadn't slept all night, unable to in the jostling wagon, and the allure of slumber was growing. Soon enough, Louise drifted off in spite of her efforts not to.

* * *

><p>Louise woke to the smell of porridge. Before thinking to do otherwise, she sat up, only to be jostled back down when her wrists didn't follow her. Hearing the noise, Fouquet left the small stove and strode over to her captive, knife withdrawn. Louise sleepily noticed the blade again, but before she could scare, the thief cut the bindings from Louise's wrists. "Breakfast is almost ready, go ahead and sit at the table." The thief's voice had lost the serious edge from the night before. Somehow, that made Louise far more nervous.<p>

_She isn't concerned with pursuit._Louise realized.

Louise rubbed her wrists, feeling seeping back into them. Now, fully unbound, Louise toyed with the idea of making a break for it, but with no wand, there was no way she'd manage to get further than a few meters. Deciding to wait for her moment, Louise sat at the table continued to stare at her captor. The woman returned to the stove-pot and scooped some simple looking porridge into two bowls. Fouquet placed one bowl in front of Louise, and sat across from her with her own.

Fouquet began eating steadily, idly watching Louise who only eyed the porridge. Questions within Louise squelched any appetite. Less than a minute passed before Louise finally broke her silence. "Why are you doing this!" She exclaimed. "Aren't you going to kill me!"

The loud shout was only followed by silence as Fouquet placed her spoon back in her bowl and crossed her hands in front of her, studying Louise in a way that made the girl uncomfortable. "I'm currently debating what to do with you." Louise drew back at the steel in the thief's voice. Remembering the rule about shouting, Louise gulped. "If you are asking if I'll kill you because of last night? No. Then, I was going to remove you as a witness, but since I left two perfectly viable witnesses behind, I am not about to add the murder of a Valliere to my list of misdeeds for no benefit." Louise sighed with relief, so she'd just be let go. "But I encountered a problem. The staff of destruction I liberated might be broken." Fouquet pinched the bridge of her nose, obviously annoyed with the development. "It's either broken or I can't figure out how to operate it; and that means selling it will be quite difficult. Any of my usual clients will demand at least half off, if not more." Louise carefully repressed a smile. Serves the rotten thief right!

Fouquet continued, if she noticed Louie's repressed smile, she didn't show it, "However, the staff was not the only thing I made off with last night." Louise's breath hitched, making the connection. "That's right, I think the daughter of the Valliere's could be quite valuable to them. Your family is in another league compared even to other nobles."

Louise mouth gaped. This thief planned to ransom her! How dare she even think of something so low! "How dare you!" Louise hissed. "Is thievery not low enough for you, now you stoop to kidnapping?"

A cold glare met Louise's own. "I suppose I should act more like a noble and only steal from those I enslave?" Louise gaped. "Isn't that what you do with commoners?"

"That's not slavery." Louise began as the thief merely rolled her eyes. "Brimir gave nobles magic to rule and guide commoners by example."

Fouquet raised an eyebrow. "You are either far too naive or far too sanctimonious. Not that it matters, your opinion wont change the fact that I plan to ransom you."

Taking a deep breath, Louise played her trump card. "My family is not to be trifled with thief." Every ounce of that statement was true. "My mother is Karin of the Heavy Wind. She would not rest until you were dead." Louise left out the fact that she was a failure to her family. Would they even pay for her, look for her? Louise shook the depressing thoughts from her head, that was the old, failure Louise talking. If nothing else, Cattleya would come for her, or at least try, even in spite of the sickness that plagued Cattleya's body.

Fouquet's eyebrows rose at Louise's proclamation. "Oh? Karin of the Heavy Wind? Even I have heard of her. That _is_ quite scary, or it would be if I believed you." Louise gaped, she wasn't lying, her mother really was Karin! "Really, if you are going to make wild claims, try not to name heroes long disappeared, a lie that fanciful is easy to spot." Louise made to protest, only to be silenced by another glare. "As I said, I'm deciding what to do with you. We are about a day's gallop from the school, in the middle of nowhere. Even if the army was gathered to search for you, it would take weeks before anyone found this cottage in the middle of the forest. I _could _lock you up in a cage and feed you nothing but bread and water, but that would inspire ill will with your family. I am giving you the option of living in this cabin, I'd lock you in of course, but that would be a far superior living arrangement than an impromptu dungeon."

Louise began to understand what this thief was getting at. In war, nobles were often taken captive during battles rather than killed, many nobles even had their cloaks and armor brazened by heralds to encourage being taken alive. Captives were given acceptable living conditions while ransom and transfer were arranged. As long as conditions were kept acceptable, the ransomed house did not peruse vengeance. But that was a tradition to keep war dignified between nobles! This thief planned to act far above her station; and this wasn't the result of honorable combat, this was kidnapping! The audacity of such a plan caused Louise to fume. She opened her mouth to protest, only to be interrupted by a raised hand. "Ah! I suggest you think hard about how you want to spend your next few weeks." Fouquet smiled, knowing she had the upper hand.

Louise's just words faltered on her lips. If she wanted to have any hope of escape, she needed to be in healthy condition. "I'll be good." She spoke softly, hating her shameful words.

Fouquet cupped a hand to her ear, "Ah, what was that?" The thief clearly enjoyed having the upper hand on a noble.

Louise scrunched up her face, shamed and embarrassed. "I won't try to escape. Please let me use the cottage." Louise promised herself it was a lie.

Fouquet smiled in her victory, and stood up. "Good, there is enough food in the cupboard for a week if you ration it properly." With a wave of her wand, the stone walls of the cottage barred up over the window. Striding out the door, the thief turned and left tone last warning. "I may have to leave at points, but my familiar will be watching, so I'll know if you try anything; and don't entertain any ideas of escaping into the woods, they are far from safe little girl."

Looking around one last time, Fouquet began to close the door. "Wait." Louise held out her hand, stopping Fouquet. There was one thing Louise hadn't asked, something she was afraid to ask. "If my family doesn't pay..." She said softly, not wanting to finish the question."

"Ah." Fouquet grasped the meaning. "Well, hope it doesn't come to that.

* * *

><p>The next few hours passed surprisingly slowly. It was before dawn when she had risen from the bed, but she had fallen asleep midday the previous, so Louise was far to awake to try getting more sleep. Instead she had finished her meal, and gone about scouring the cabin, taking inventory. There was various food in the cupboards, a basin of water, a drawer of spoons and forks in a drawer. Did Fouquet actually remove even the butter knives? The thief seemed incredibly cautious. The only other things that weren't attached to the floor was the furniture. The door was sealed shut, the walls seemed to have been transmuted around it, holing it firm. That left her only other escape route through the barred window. Even the ceiling was made of stone. Louise had the sneaking suspicion that Fouquet had transmuted this building herself.<p>

After giving up finding any useful tool, Louise had begun staring out the window. The wagon was gone, making it likely that the thief had gone somewhere, likely to deliver a ransom note, but that didn't mean she was unwatched. Any of forest creatures she caught a glimpse of could be her captor's familiar, watching her, waiting for Louise to slip up. It was maddening, if she couldn't be sure she was unwatched, how could she plan an escape? Founder Brimir above, where was her familiar when she needed him? If only it were here, she could send it for help.

Louise glared daggers at a passing squirrel. If only Cattleya were here, she would know what to do. Louise smiled to herself. If her older sister were here, she would probably be rescued by the very forest creatures Louise was fearing. She had a strange way with animals.

If only Montmorency were here, she would help her.

_If only anyone were here..._Smiling weakly to keep her spirits up, Louise turned and leaned against the wall, sliding down to the floor. "If only if only, the woodpecker sighs. If only the bark on the tree were as soft as the sky." Louise recited a poem her mother used to recite. If only the stone walls were as soft as the sky, then escaping wouldn't be so impossible.

* * *

><p>"Ten thousand ecu? Maybe fifteen thousand? Mama would be furious if Papa offered more." Louise spoke to no one in particular from where she sat on the bed. She was guessing how much her family would pay for her as the latest in her made up games to keep herself entertained.<p>

_"Louise?"_

The high pitched, sickeningly cute voice of her familiar sounded from within her mind. So stunned was she, Louise did not even respond. Had she imagined the voice?

_"Louise? If your mouth is gagged, you need only think to me." _

The voice once again sounded, and Louise nearly collapsed with relief. Catching herself from speaking out, she tried his suggestion of thinking at him, lest she alert Fouquet's familiar. _"I hear you familiar. Be careful, Fouquet's familiar is about."_

_"Then we had better hurry. "_This time, the voice was not her familiar, but that of Montmorency.

Louise nearly spoke in surprised, but covered her own mouth with her hands. _"Montmorency? How are you communicating like this?" _

_"No time to explain, get away from the door and take cover, we are breaking it down."_Montmorency's voice was urgent, and Louise could only guess what was about to happen.

Grabbing the table, Louise dragged it as far away from the door as she could and tilted it to its side as a makeshift shield. _"Ready."_

There was a resounding crash as the door flew backward, a huge ice spike drove the heavy door straight across the cottage and pinned it to the opposite wall. Louise peeked out from behind the bed and saw a most welcome sight. Montmorency stood in the doorway, a relieved smile splashed across her face, "Loui-"

"Louise!" A sing song voice cut Montmorecy off as Kirche of all people ran past Montmorency to her. "When I heard that you had been kidnapped, I could not help but come running!" The boisterous red head hugged the stunned Louise, pressing Louise's head to her well endowed chest.

Planting her arm on the Kirche's shoulder, Louise pried herself from the death grip. "Thanks Kirche..." She ground out, still fighting the hug. Finally beating the girl's grip, Louise flopped backwards, off balance.

"Not the time." Tabitha's cold voice sounded from the doorway where she was keeping watch. Kirche gave her friend an annoyed look and then shrugged and sighed. "Sorry," though her sing song voice belied any actual regret. "I was just so moved by your chivalry the other day!" Kirche hugged herself, "Your duel of honor was so moving! I had to come rescue you!"

Louise did not know what to do with the creature in front of her, this was a far different Kirche than the one she remembered always teasing her. Instead, Louise skirted around her and toward Montmorency. "You okay?" Montmorency asked, grabbing Louise's hand.

"I am now. Thanks for coming for me." Louise smiled back, squeezing Montmorency's hand.

Montmorency raised a hand and waved of the praise, abashed. "This little guy helped too." She gestured downward where Kyuubey stood by her feet.

Louise bent down and patted her familiar's head. "Thank you as well. You make a fine familiar." The small beast did not reply, it only looked outward toward the door.

Stepping outside into the evening air Louise looked to Tabitha. Sparing Louise only a glance, Tabitha turned back to the trees, giving them another scan before looking to the sky. The blue haired girl raised a hand to her lips and let out a piercing whistle. "Sylphid comes. Stay alert." Tabitha ordered back, her eyes back to sweeping the forest edge.

A faint sound of flapping greeted Louise's ears not a minute later. Tabitha's dragon Sylphid cleared the treeline and landed swiftly, generating blast of wind with it's wings, cushioning the hasty landing. Tabitha wasted no time in climbing aboard her familiar. Turning, the young girl offered a hand. "Make haste."

Louise did not need to be told twice. In short order, she grabbed her familiar, accepted the hand and pulled herself aboard the dragon. Montmorency hopped on behind her, followed by Kirche. Louise let out a breath of relief. She was rescued after all.

"You have GOT to be kidding me!" An angered voice called out as the earth itself shook. Trees out beyond the clearing went flying as a massive, dreadfully familiar golem burst forth.

"Fly!" Tabitha urged her familiar and the beast leaped into the sky; nearly throwing Louise from it with the sheer force of the takeoff.

The thief would have none of it. "Not a chance!" She cried, her golem launching a swipe at the dragon. Sylphid rolled to the side, dodging the rock arm by inches. It was truly a testament to Tabitha's and her familiar's coordination to pull off such a maneuver. The wind dragon corkscrewed upwards, dodging the golem's second arm as it swung upward. Louise held Tabitha for dear life as her world became a spinning whirlwind of colors.

Then they were clear, the golem waving it's arm below them. Louise let out a breath of air, loosening her death-grip on the girl in front of her. She heard the thief hurling obscenities after them. Looking over her should, Louise stuck out her tongue, immature yes, but it also felt great. Ha! Serves the rotten fiend righ-

Louise breath hitched as a massive boulder rocketed toward Sylphid. The dragon rolled out of the way of it, but Louise was no longer gripping to her lifeline. One second she was sitting on Sylphid's back, the next she was looking up at an upside down Sylphid. "AAAAAeeeiiiii!" She shrieked as she plummeted downward.

Looking up and reaching uselessly for the dragon, Louise screamed with all her might reaching for Montmorency's outstretched hand. "NO!" Montmorency screamed, drawing her wand. "LEVITATION!" She cried, her magic racing toward the plummeting Louise.

One second Louise was falling, the next it was like a warm pillow of air enveloped her, slowing her descent. She was again unable to breath a sigh of relief as she heard the cacophonous pounding that could only be caused by a tower sized golem, trotting along the earth. Louise looked downward to the trees, then back to the dragon which was diving for her. Another boulder caused Tabitha to bank away, leaving Louise to slowly fall to the ground.

Louise hit the ground running. The golem was almost upon her, but she was hidden in the trees. If she could just get away and call for Tabitha. Louise darted around through the trees away from the golem, taking glances upward to see Sylphid darting around, gouts of wind and fire spewing off from its riders and harassing the golem.

_"Louise, can you hear me?"_Montmorency's voice filled her head.

Louise looked around, realizing her familiar was nowhere to be seen. _"Kyuubey I could kiss you!"_Louise thought to her familiar, wherever it was.

The small voice of her familiar filled her mind. _"Rather than that, try holding on next time."_It chastised her.

Louise darted around another tree and leaned against it, stopping to catch her breath. _"I'm trying to get away, can you find me with Kyuubey?"_

Montmorency's thoughts filled her mind once again. "We are already on the ground and coming for you. Tabitha will distract the golem while we leave on foot."

Still panting, Louise looked through the treeline. In the distance she saw the golem trotting after a retreating Sylphid. Smart, Fouquet would assume they meant to pick her up with the dragon. How else but with a dragons eyes in the sky could they find her?

Louise giggled though labored breaths. That was her second narrow escape in what could only be a few minutes. That must be a record or something. "Louise?"

Montmorency's voice drew attention to her right. Her blonde friend's hair had numerous leaves stuck between her frazzled curls and she was covered in dirt, but there was a relieved smile on her face. "That's twice I'm rescuing you in one day, that has got to be a record or something, right?"

Louise couldn't help but laugh, relieved as she was.

"I wouldn't celebrate quite yet." Fouquet's icy voice sent chills down Louise's spine.

"How-" Louise was cut off as the earth erupted into yet _another_ golem.

The ground shook Louise off her feet and she could only stare up at the golem towering over her. "This day was going great." Fouquet's voice sounded with rage from the golem's shoulder. "The Vallieres agree to a ransom without bargain, my messenger doesn't ask for a larger cut, and I even find a buyer for that damned staff! But now? Now I have to chase you through he forest, then I'm going to have to play the hostage game all over again, and then I'm going to have to find _another_ safe house. How did they even find you here! It's in the middle of nowhere!"

Louise crawled backward, only for her back to bump up against the tree behind her. "Now Valliere." Fouquet ground out. "Be a good girl and hold still." The golem's arm raised.

A shadow fell over Louise. Yet no great stone hand grasped her. Opening her tightly shut eyes, Louise saw Montmorency standing before her, legs spread proudly, her noble's mantel fluttered in the evening breeze. "Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth!" She called out. "Leave my friend alone!"

Louise blinked through teary, stunned eyes up at the girl before her. Fouquet's laughter tainted the air, ringing out through the forest. The laughter diminished into an angry chuckle, "Girl," the thief ground out. The golem drew its hand up, ready to swat Montmorency like a one swats an ant.

"I am not in the MOOD!"

In that moment, the golem's arm began racing toward Montmorency and time seemed to slow. Louise reached her hand out, as if to protect her friend before her. Drops of evening dew glittered in the air and Louise's tears floated before her.

Then Montmorency exploded into light.

Infinite shades of gold erupted outward from her friend. The light coiled around Montmorency in the most beautiful light show Louise had ever seen. Louie's breath was taken from her, even if she were to live another thousand years, she would never see anything that could match the spectacle before her.

And then it ended with a crunch. Earth shattered as the golem's hand smashed into the earth beside Montmorency. Cracks extended along the ground and Louise froze, stunned at Fouquet's golem missing. Fouquet herself was gaping at the sight before her. Her golem's arm had been diverted!

There, indented in the golem's arm was a massive silver hammer. The head as big around as Montmorency's chest, and the pole a good foot longer than Montmorency was tall. It was intricately adorned with odd lines running along it's head, they would look to be cracks if not for their right angles and manufactured appearance. With a lurch, Montmorency withdrew her hammer from the golem and spun it once, resting it across her shoulder.

Louise barely remembered to breath. Who was this before her? Dressed in elaborate, frilled clothing of golden yellow, she looked more like an angel. It was only when Montmorency turned back to Louise and offered a smile, that Louise believed it was still her. It was still that round, lovable face that belonged to her closest friend. "Wait right here, this wont take but a minute." With that, Montmorency reached up to a pair of goggles strapped across her forehead and pulled them across her eyes.

With a twirl of her hammer, Montmorency planted her feet in a fighting stance and held her weapon before her. "Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth, I'll give you one chance to leave!"

The glare that Fouquet sent their way was _venomous_. "Child... I'm going to enjoy killing you."

That was all Montmorency needed. Bending her knees, her her body coiled for a single moment. Then, with amazing force, she leaped from the ground rocketing toward where Fouquet stood atop her golem.

A massive stone forearm reared up between Montmorency and Fouquet. Rolling into a midair flip, Montmorency lashed out with her hammer. The resounding crash of hammer on rock sent birds across the forest scattering. Cracks splintered across the arm of the golem, showing just how powerful Montmorency's swing was.

With a great push, the golem swung its arm wide, flicking Montmorency away toward a massive oak. Spinning midair, Montmorency planted her feet against the trunk of the tree and coiled for another jump. Again, the girl rocketed toward the golem's rider. Again the golem raised an arm to block, its cracks already healed by Fouquet's willpower coursing through the construct. "That wont work twice!" Montmorency shouted. The cracks running across her hammer's head released gouts of steam as they expanded outward, revealing clockwork machinations inside. The cogs whirled to bluing speeds and steam rocketed out the back of the hammer, propelling it forward.

"VAPEUR FINIR!"

The hammer collided with the arm, shattering it with tremendous force and sending a shock wave outward that even Louise felt from where she sat. Yet, despite the massive blow, Montmorency was still stopped. Hanging in the air for a moment, gravity grabbed hold and pulled her downward. With no purchase to spring from, she was an easy target. Rearing back, the golem launched a kick at Montmorency.

Again Montmorency spun midair, using her Hammer's mass to maneuver herself toward the oncoming mountain of a limb. With a mighty steam empowered swing, Montmorency stuck the limb, sending it off course and her spinning down to the ground. Legs planted again, Montmorency twisted on instinct as the golem's uninjured arm came racing toward her. With a might jump, Montmorency avoided a direct hit, but was still launched across the forest floor, tumbling as she bounced twice against the grass before managing to plant her feet into a slide.

"She is going to lose." Kyuubey's voice rang out throughout Louise's core. Louise tore her eyes away from where Montmorency prepared to launch another attack. Kyuubey sat beside her, watching the battle. Louise's eyes followed her familiars to the golem, its shattered arm was rapidly regrowing, drawing earth from the ground. "Montmorency has the power to win, but not the experience. Direct attacks like that are too predictable."

Louise felt the pit in her stomach grow as Montmorency once again rocketed toward the golem, only to hit an arm and be flicked away. "How-"

"How did she gain that power?" The Kyuubey finished for her. "She made a wish. That is a magical girl Louise." Louise looked back to her friend. Her familiar was telling the truth? It actually could grant wishes and magical powers? "There is only one way to save her. Do you have the conviction to fight Louise? Will you become a magical girl?"

There was no hesitation. Simple desires like proving herself. Like graduating. Like gaining her mother's acceptance. Those meant nothing when Louise's friend was fighting for her life. "Kyuubey!" She cried.

"Grant my wish!"

Wafts of pink exploded from Louise. A small ball of light exited her chest and she instinctively cradled it to her as the world was blocked out. The pink light wrapped around her protectively forming around her body. In an explosion of color, white gloves burst into existence on her hands. Swirling light cloaked behind her, forming a white and pink emblazoned mantel. Intricately braided ribbons gripped her bangs. It felt comforting, like being hugged by those closest to you.

It was over as quickly as it began. Louise looked down at herself, briefly wondering why clothing came with magical powers, but it was a far cry better than worn out pajamas so she held her tongue.

The crash of the golem's arm impacting the earth where Montmorency had been not a moment sooner snapped Louise back to attention. She needed to help. As soon as Louise thought to fight, light erupted from her hand, forming a long, pristine white staff clutching a dark orb at its top. To call the ball black would be wrong, it was like no light touched it; it was nothingness.

There was no hesitation in how to use this staff, it was like Louise had known all along. Focusing on the end of the staff, she drew her energy to it. The orb pulsated with power and in an instant, Louise was ready. Leveling the staff at her enemy, Louise released her hold on the energy and it rocketed forward. An orb with a dark core trailing wafts of pink impacted the golem's side, exploding outward and knocking the construct to the side.

Both combatants stopped and looked toward Louise, neither expecting Louise to join. Marshaling her best smile, Louise called to Montmorency. "Let's finish this!"

Louise's smile was returned in earnest. "Right!" With renewed vigor, the hammer wielding warrior darted toward her foe. The golem raised its arm to squash her flat, only to stumble as orbs of energy blasted into its side.

Fouquet screamed in rage, whirling her golem toward Louise, only for it to stumble as Montmorency's hammer impacted its knee. Again it turned to Montmorency, only to stumble backward as more dark orbs collided with it. Fully off balance, it raised its arms forward, trying not to fall. "NOW!" Montmorency cried leaping up and beyond the golem's guard. With a mighty swing she struck the golem's chest with everything she had. Sending it falling backward and crashing into the forest floor, shattering under its own weight.

Fouquet went tumbling across the forest floor. The thief was down, but not out. Getting her feet below her, she raised her wand, spell on her lips. That hammer girl was about to find out that standing in a mound of earth still saturated with an earth mage's willpower was _not_a good idea. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

A low, pulsing hum drew Fouquet's attention to the blade of dark energy less than an inch from the back of her neck. Extending from the Valliere's staff was some sort of spearhead created from the same energy she had been firing off. Never had Fouquet expected the long range support to move in to close range. For a moment, Fouquet considered chancing her luck, but the Valliere gave her a look of pure steel. "This... just isn't my day." Fouquet dropped her wand and raised her hands. The battle was over.

* * *

><p>Kirche and Tabitha arrived at the clearing five minutes too late to be of any help. Even the stoic Tabitha was noticeably surprised to find that Montmorency and Louise had defeated a triangle class mage. It was quite funny to see the ever composed Tabitha show any reaction, even if it was just raised eyebrows. Now back in their clothing and pajamas, the two hardly looked like formidable fighters, Louise admitted.<p>

The group had then retrieved Fouquet's hidden wagon and started the trek back to the academy, not being able to fit five people on Sylphid. The thief herself was bound wrists and ankles in satisfying reversal of roles as far as Louise was concerned. Fouquet would be turned over to the authorities and tried, Louise was not about to kill her like a savage.

Tabitha had taken the reigns of the wagon, her familiar flying overhead. Louise suspected the girl was miffed she hadn't been able to help more. Kirche had taken to trying to weasel out just how the two magical girls had won the fight. Both girls had fun making only vague references and giggling between themselves. It was strangely fun to have Kirche, envy of all the girls, guessing at their new abilities.

* * *

><p>The group traveled through the night and into the morning before they finally reached the academy. Fouquet had been given to the summoned guards and Louise had retreated to her room to finally get a good sleep. Montmorency had led her there, not wanting to let Louise out of her sight, not that Louise was complaining. Finally back in her room, Louise nearly cried with relief. "Ah, I'll let you get some rest." Montmorency said softly, closing the door.<p>

"Wait." Louise said before she even processed her thoughts. Montmorency waited, door half closed. The thought of being alone scared her far more than she cared to think about. Yet the idea of asking Montmorency to stay was far too embarrassing.

"How about a sleepover?" Montmorency said lightly, as if reading Louise's thoughts.

Louise smiled though forming tears. "Yeah, that would be good."

* * *

><p>The two girls shared a bed that night. Montmorency cradling Louise protectively. It was like sleeping with Cattleya, Louise vaguely realized. Warm and safe. Louise began to drift off when something struck her, a question that would keep her up all night if not asked. "Montmorency? How did you manage to find me?"<p>

Montmorency sleepily opened her eyes. "Ah, I just wished to Kyuubey to know where you are."

"Eh?" Louise was struck by her friends selflessness...

"Then why not just wish me back at school?" Louise inquired further.

Montmorency's eyes opened fully, and she blankly though for a moment. "You know... I didn't really think of that."

There was brief a moment of silence, ended by one word from Louise.

"Blockhead."

The insult was filled with such warmth that the two girls giggled themselves exhausted. Then, warm and happy, they drifted off to sleep. Neither one of them looking at Louise's dresser where two beady red eyes watched them.

Measured them.


	6. Chapter 6: Traveling

**Chapter 6: Traveling**

_Cushioned seats._

Cushioned seats were the best, Louise decided as the carriage wound its way down the road. The carriage ride so far had been a far cry better than her last adventure in a horse drawn vehicle; that was for sure. Louise idly pet her familiar as the carriage continued to jostle along, the minor bumps were actually quite soothing. "So Louise, how far away is your estate?" Montmorency asked from across the carriage.

Grabbing her chin in thought, Louise thought for a moment, "Normally about a day and a half, but we will be detouring to meet my sister at an inn for the night, so we should arrive tomorrow afternoon." Montmorency smiled weakly, and went back to prodding her frog, talking to Robin in whispers. Really, Louise was beginning to worry she had pressured her friend into coming if she'd rather converse with her familiar. It wasn't that she needed Montmorency around; it was just that Louise thought the two had grown very close the past week.

Before Louise could worry further, Montmorency spoke up. "Louise I'm worried."

"Ah," Louise interrupted. "It's okay if you are having second thoughts." She mumbled; her eyes downcast. "I can send the carriage back if you want, I can continue myself."

"Oh, Oh! No, not like that." Louise looked up, surprised. "I definitely want to come; it's just that there is something wrong with Robin." Montmorency held up her frog with a worried look. "I can't feel our connection."

Louise raised an eyebrow, what connection? Then she remembered that familiars were supposed to have a mental link to their master, it was just that Louise had failed that particular facet of the ritual. "Oh... Yeah, that! Well, what about her runes?"

Montmorency mouthed an 'oh,' realizing she had not checked the familiar runes for problems. Seriously, that girl missed the most obvious things. Bringing her wand to her frog, Montmorency chanted a small cantrip, channeling magic into her frog. Nothing happened. "OH!" Montmorency cried out. "Her runes are gone!"

The girl was becoming hysterical, retrying the cantrip over and over. Louise acted quickly and grabbed the girl's shoulder. "Relax, runes are magical binds that send and receive magic. Most likely your magic signature changed when you became a magical girl, all we need to do is preform the binding ritual again."

With a sniff, Montmorency stopped her crying. "But how will we draw the circle? I can't bear asking the teachers to help me again, it would be so embarrassing!"

Trying her best to give a comforting smile, Louise patted her friend's head. "I know how to draw one, no worries." The raised eyebrow on her friend's face caused Louise to defend herself. "Really! If it isn't a spell, I can do it better than any student. Heck, I bet I have more water incantations memorized than you!" Louise puffed out her chest, she was proud of her book smarts.

Montmorency's giggling deflated Louise. "Then I'll rely on you, oh master of the academia." Really, to patronize her. Montmorency could be so annoying sometimes.

A jostle in the road caused Louise's petting hand to bump hard against Kyuubey. The creature looked up, wondering if it was needed. While not intentional, it did cause Louise to remember she too had become a magical girl. Picking the small Kyuubey up, she inspected its paw. Sure enough, the faded runes were nowhere to be found. Louise just smiled, no use freaking out, "Looks like you'll be getting a kiss later." The Kyuubey just tilted its head, confused at the oddity of humans.

Louise looked back to her friend, who was looking far less stressed than she was before. Montmorency caught Louise's look and spoke up. "So your sister is healed?"

That small statement made Louise absolutely giddy. "Yup, I wished her healed. She had been sick all her life and now she is better." Just the thought of Cattleya up and healthy filled Louise with joy. Maybe she would attend the academy! Sure she had graduated by her tutor's standards, but a year as a senior wouldn't hurt, right?

Montmorency giggled at her friend's behavior. "You must be really close." A small shred of jealously filled Montmorency, since she wasn't that close to her own siblings.

"She is the best." Louise leaned forward to impress her point. "Super nice, and kind, and great with magic. She always cheered me up when I was failing."

"Sounds great." Montmorency murmured, smiling weakly at her friend.

* * *

><p>That evening Louise and Montmorency worked together to draw a binding circle out behind the inn. Louise had wanted to get it done before her older sister Eleanor arrived, saying she might not get any free time after that. Under Louise's instructions, the circle was completed remarkably quickly. "You really do know your stuff." Montmorency conceded, looking at their work.<p>

Louise just smiled triumphantly, "Of course! Even I have my strong points. Now, you first." With a wave of her hand, Louise ushered Montmorency into the center of the circle.

Taking a small breath, Montmorency recited the ancient binding spell. The ground flashed and filled the circle with life. Then, with a kiss, the light was gone; leaving small, glowing runes shining on the back of Robin the frog. "Success!" Montmorency cried.

Crossing her arms, Louise puffed out her chest. "I told you it would work, now my turn." In short order, she had switched places with Montmorency. Carefully, she recited the same incantation, word for word, and focused her magic to her lips. There was fear, in the back of her mind, that she would fail. This was her first time using magic since she fought in the forest, would something go wrong? Her fears proved unfounded, because as the light of the circle faded glowing runes formed on her familiars back. Ah! Not only had she managed to re-brand her familiar, but she branded it properly this time, on the torso rather than the paw. Louise was certain her magic was improving.

"What are you doing back here Louise?" A voice Louise recognized all too well called out.

Whirling, Louise smiled as though she was guilty of some mischief. "N-nothing elder sister, just showing my friend how binding circles work." If Eleanor learned that Louise had failed to maintain her familiar's runes, she wouldn't escape without punishment.

Eleanor strode toward them from the edge of the inn, and passed right by them to kneel over the circle. "Hmmm, well this is a proper binding circle, but you have no summoning circle overlaying it." The academic in Eleanor was awakened it seemed, as she didn't even introduce herself to Montmorency.

Louise knew better than to chastise her sister however, the girl was all too fond of physical... _rebuttals_ was the nice way to call it. "Ah, that's because it's easier to see them both separately before working on a joint circle." Louise racked her brain for all info on summoning and binding circles. Who knew if Eleanor would decide to spring a pop quiz on her?

Apparently satisfied, Eleanor turned back to Louise and Montmorency. "The pursuit of knowledge is an acceptable way to spend time Louise, but try to do it at more acceptable hours in a more acceptable location." Eleanor flicked Louise on the forehead, causing her eyes to bunch up as she rubbed the stinging spot. "Really, out behind an inn at night?" With a shake of her head, she glanced at Montmorency; the poor girl was as stiff as a board. Eleanor really did have an overbearing presence. "You are?"

"Montmorency Margarita la Fere de Montmorency." The girl blurted out, shrinking under Eleanor's measuring gaze. Eleanor just raised an eyebrow, expecting more. "Louise invited me along. We are friends."

Eleanor looked surprised for a moment, and then smiled, "Ah, that is good, you will meet our family at a very happy occasion." Apparently satisfied, Eleanor strode back toward the inn. "Now come along you two, it is supper time."

* * *

><p>Dinner was a formal affair. Eleanor's servants commandeered the inn's kitchen and had made a proper meal for the three nobles. Louise herself felt a bit abashed; looking at Eleanor's several servants. She herself was traveling without a handmaiden, but she had not thought to ask for a temporary servant from the school in her excitement to return home to Cattleya.<p>

Luckily, Eleanor did not seem to notice that breach of protocol, and was actually quite sociable. Louise supposed even Eleanor's usual harshness had softened with news of Cattleya's recovery. Still, the conversation during the meal was sparse. Maybe she could tell Eleanor about the medal she and Montmorency would be receiving. Louise had wanted to wait to reveal the news to mother, but she could tell Eleanor first.

Before Louise could speak up, Eleanor cleared her throat, drawing attention to herself. "I hear the church is sending someone to inspect Cattleya. Her recovery might even be ordained a miracle."

Louise raised her eyebrows; she hadn't even thought something like the church getting involved could happen. Then again, only Montmorency and she knew it was her wish to Kyuubey that healed Cattleya. "T-that's quite interesting." Louise began, carefully finishing a bite of her food. "Do you know anything about the priest?"

Eleanor placed her fork down, having finished her meal. Like a well-oiled machine, her place was cleared and wine refilled. She dismissed the servant asking if she's like dessert. "Not a priest actually," she corrected, "I hear it is Cardinal Tomas de Torquemada, head of the Paladins."

It was Montmorency who spoke up this time, "Cardinal Torquemada? I've heard of him. My father used to tell me stories of his campaign against the zombie hordes." The girl thought for a moment, tilting her head and grabbing her chin. "Why would the church send a hero like that, a cardinal no less, on a task like this? Isn't miracle affirmation more the role of high priests?"

Louise and Eleanor shared a look; both confirming each other's thoughts before sighing in unison. "It's probably that." Eleanor spoke.

"Probably." Louise agreed.

Montmorency blankly looked between them, wondering just what 'that' was. "Um..." She spoke up.

Offering an apologetic smile, Louise explained, "Ah, our mother is something of a hero as well. You probably of know her, Karin of the Heavy Wind." Montmorency gasped, _everyone_ had heard of Karin. She doubted there was a girl in the kingdom that was not raised on stories of her adventures. "Mother made sure to keep her identity hidden when she retired. Yet somehow top class warriors find odd reasons to make visits to our estate. I think they just want to see how they measure up." Louise leaned back in her chair. "I remember one time the captain of Albion's Dragon knight division, a hero in his own right, dropped by claiming he _got lost_ and asked to stay the night. Really, the man could not lie to save his life, and he was completely star struck over mother to boot."

A nervous smile was shared between the three girls. "So the cardinal probably asked for the job so he could meet your mother?" Montmorency supplied.

"Most likely." The Valliere's agreed nervously laughing off the oddity of their life. Sometimes it was strange having a legend for a mother.

* * *

><p>Montmorency and Louise's carriage rode steadily behind Eleanor's the following morning. The even had gone surprisingly well, though Louise had not brought up her soon to be awarded medal, Eleanor could wait to hear along with mother.<p>

The ride itself had been much better than the previous day's travel. With Montmorency no longer fretting over Robin, she was much more pleasant conversation. "So Louise, where does your family's land start anyway?"

Louise almost laughed before she realized her friend was serious. Blushing in embarrassment, Louise muttered. "The inn was on our land..." Maybe what Fouquet said about the Valliere's being in another league was truer than Louise realized, she had never thought of her family's wealth before.

Montmorency let out a low whistle. "Wow Louise, I knew your father was a Duke, but I guess that's the difference between nobles at the top and nobles at the bottom."

There was an awkward silence as Louise remembered what she knew of Montmorency's family. A relatively minor household who had only declined in the last war with Germania. Before her friend could stew on it, Louise cheerfully filled in. "Not like it makes a difference. I'm the youngest so I won't be inheriting anything other than my dowry." Montmorency's concerned look mad Louise realize that sounded much more depressing than she meant it. "Not that it matters!" She quickly added. Puffing out her chest, Louise boasted, "I'll become a great mage myself. Probably captain of the dragon knights."

Louise was deflated at Montmorency's giggles. "S-sorry." She choked out between giggles. "You are just so cute when you get like that."

With a humph, Louise closed her eyes and looked away, pouting. "Don't patronize me." She mumbled.

"Sorry." Montmorency held up her hands to placate her irate friend. "Forgive me?"

Opening one eye, Louise was unable to stay mad at her friend. "Forgiven, it wouldn't do for me to be mad at you now that we are here."

"Oh?" Montmorency exclaimed, excited to see her friend's home. Looking out the carriage window, Montmorency was awestruck. She had seen several mansions before, but Louise's home as closer to a palace. "It's so pretty!" She gazed at the great mansion with envy.

Mesmerized as she was, Montmorency continued to watch the Mansion as the carriage drew to a stop before it. The carriage doors were opened and a servant help Louise down, and Montmorency after her. Eleanor greeted the two girls and the three entered the mansion. "Welcome home Mistress Eleanor, Mistress Louise." A formation of servants greeted them.

"Welcome home Eleanor, Louise." A happily, calming voice spoke from the end of the hallway where a tall girl stood waiting. There was no doubt in Montmorency's mind that this was Louise's sister Cattleya. She looked like one would imagine Louise looking in five or so years; flowing pink hair, the same round face, even the same eyes. But even without the resemblance, the warmth of the elder girl's smile could only come from the kind woman that Louise idolized.

"Cattleya!" Louise cried with joy, running forward and grabbing her sister in a great hug. The two joined into a blob of pink for a moment, before breaking apart to hold each other at arm's length. "How is your health?" Louise asked with a hint of giddiness.

"I feel good Louise. I feel very good."

There was a pause as the two hugged each other tightly. Montmorency remained silent, not wanting to break up the happy moment. Glancing to her right, Montmorency looked to the eldest Valliere sister. In such a moment of happiness, even the constant stern cowl of Eleanor Valliere had softened to a warm smile. "Eleanor, come here." Cattleya called to her elder sister.

With false reluctance that fooled no one, the eldest Valliere walked toward Cattleya. "It is good that you are feeling well sister." Eleanor began, keeping her dignity about her; only for it to be forfeit as Cattleya lunged and pulled her into the hug, surprising Eleanor with her strength.

"I'll have none of that formality Eleanor!" Cattleya cried excitedly, keeping her elder sister in a tight hug and trapping Louise between them.

Eleanor's efforts to push her sister off were proving fruitless. "Cattleya, this is most improper." Eleanor jabbered out with embarrassment.

"Nope! I think you meant to say, I love you!" Cattleya giggled as she continued to trap Eleanor.

It didn't take long before Eleanor stopped struggling, unable to break her sister's grip. "Such strength... You are really better, aren't you?" Montmorency barely heard Eleanor whisper. All it took was a small nod from Cattleya for Eleanor to return the grand hug with her own. "I'm glad Cattleya, I'm so glad."

"I love you too, Eleanor."

The two elder Valliere's broke apart after a moment, releasing their unintentional hostage. Slightly worse for the wear, Louise caught herself from falling and ran a hand over her hair, making sure nothing was too out of place. Grabbing her elder sister's dress, she gave a tug. "Cattleya, I want you to meet my friend Montmorency."

Smiling at Louise's childish exuberance, Cattleya turned to the sheepishly waiting Montmorency and offered a warm smile. "It's nice to meet you. Louise spoke very highly of you in her letter."

Remembering her manners, Montmorency gave a tiny bow and replied. "It's good to meet you as well." The blush of embarrassment still hadn't left her cheeks.

With a clap, Cattleya spoke up. "Let's retire to the garden for tea. I want to hear all about my sisters and Louise's new friend."

With no objection's Cattleya turned and started toward a side door of the lobby, followed by Eleanor, who was taking pains walk steady and maintain what little dignity she had left. Louise hurried toward Montmorency and grabbed her hand. "Come on!" With a big smile, she pulled her friend behind her toward the garden. Montmorency could only smile and follow.

* * *

><p>Tea and conversation was exchanged warmly in the garden. Eleanor talked about her marriage proposal with an Earl. Montmorency ended up on the wrong side of a quiz when Eleanor learned she had a talent for potions; luckily she managed to fulfill the eldest sister's expectations. Louise even introduced her familiar, much to her sister's interests. Though neither could see the small beast, Cattleya immediately congratulated Louise on such a fine familiar. Eleanor on the other hand was skeptical until she touched the Kyuubey, then she was very,<em> very<em> interested in it. With a quick snatch, the hoisted the familiar into her lap where she proceeded to poke and prod it mercilessly.

"Sister Eleanor! Leave Kyuubey alone!" Louise whined and was ignored by the intrigued academic.

Eleanor felt the head of the beast, and could make out two sets of ears. "Light refraction? No, then no one could see it." She mumbled to herself. The small Kyuubey wriggled, but Eleanor just flipped it on its back resumed her prodding. "Maybe mental suggestion? Similar to a charm spell?"

The academics studies came to halt when Louise managed to snatch her familiar away. "You can't treat Kyuubey like one of your experiments. He's my familiar! He even helped Montmorency rescue me!"

Both of Louise's sister's froze. Each passed a curious and worried look to each other, confirming the others confusion. It was Cattleya who spoke up, "Rescued you from what Louise?"

"Yes, Louise. Maybe you can explain to us why you would have need of rescue." A new, slightly deeper voice sounded from the house. There, what could only be Louise's mother Karin stood, looking at her youngest with a piercing gaze. The matron of the Valliere's walked over and handed Louise a wand, the small seal of the Vallieres could be seen on the bottom.

Louise looked the wand over, recognizing it as her own. It was the wand Fouquet had taken several nights ago; she must have used it in her ransom note as proof. Despite her mother's piercing gaze, Louise did not wilt, she smiled. Her mother would be angry she had let herself be kidnapped, but would surely be prideful when Louise spoke of how she and Montmorency had brought the criminal to justice. They were even to receive medals, legend or no, her mother would be impressed by that, right? "Wel-"

"Cattleya! Is it true? You are healthy?" A booming voice spoke from above. A blonde man floated down, his fall slowed by a levitation spell. A griffon and could be seen circling with a dragon and rider close by. After a moment, both descended toward the stables of the house.

Louise's mother gave Louise a serious look, "We'll discuss this later. This should be a happy occasion." Though Louise wanted to speak of her exploits, she could only remain silent. This was Cattleya's celebration after all. Karin then pinched the bridge of her nose and scolded her husband. "Dear, you spook that griffon of yours too often. I thought you said you would refrain from jumping off mid-flight?"

The man waved off his wife's worries. "A man cannot contain himself when he receives news his daughter has made a miraculous recovery, so tell me Cattleya, your health has improved?" The man gripped his daughter's shoulders, excitement palpable.

Smiling at her father's exuberance, Cattleya embraced her father and confirmed his hopes. "I'm all better Papa. I feel healthier than ever."

The man could only pick his daughter up and twirl her around. "Thank Brimir!" He shouted, still whirling his adult daughter around like she weighed as much as a child.

Eleanor and Karin could only sigh at the sight before them. Montmorency once again froze up, feeling like she was intruding. However, her embarrassment faded when she caught sight of Louise smiling weakly. It was obvious the girl wanted to impress her family, but didn't want to steal Cattleya's time of celebration. Placing a hand on her friends shoulder, Montmorency smiled when her friend turned to her. In return, Louise's face brightened and she silently thanked Montmorency.

Back on her own feet, Cattleya straightened out her frazzled hair. "I'm glad you are still in good health father. But may I ask, who was the rider you were flying with?"

"Ah, that was the cardinal. We met on the way."

All those assembled froze in shock for a moment. Eleanor was the first to recover, "You were flying with the Cardinal and you just _jumped_ off your mount mid-flight?" To leave someone of such status as a Cardinal without seeing him to the stables, even for a Duke like Louise's father could result in quite a bit of social backlash.

"Oh, don't worry about me. A man cannot contain himself when he hears such good new, right Duke Valliere?" A deep, rumbling voice spoke from the house. There, a servant was leading a man into the garden. Though to call him a man would be an understatement. Montmorency half wondered if he was part giant. Standing a good head and shoulders above even Louise's father, and half again as wide, stood a man dressed in white and red robes. If not for the greyed hair and wrinkled face, Montmorency would not have believed the man to be old. He simply stood too straight and looked too fit to be an old man. The ornate steel staff he held marked him as a cardinal, and the large gold amulet shaped like a shield marked him as the leader of the Paladins. This man was only a step below the pope himself. All assembled except for the Duke immediately took a knee, bowing in respect. "Raise your heads; formalities like this don't suit me." Montmorency looked up surprised. Upon closer inspection, the man wore nothing to show his wealth, not even a ring. In fact, the only jewels on him were the five jewels arranged in a pentagram on his shield amulet. Each the color of their corresponding element.

The Duke walked over and clasped hand with the Cardinal. "Tomas my good man, let me introduce you to my wife Karin."

Karin, already up from her kneel, locked eyes with the Cardinal for a moment. The air stilled for a moment and Montmorency could feel Robin's fear pass through their mental link. Even from with Montmorency's pocket, Robin's animal instincts could sense the meeting of two dominant predators. The moment was over as quickly as it began, and Karin offered her hand to the cardinal, forsaking the customary curtsy. Only smiling at the breach of social protocol, the Cardinal took Karin's hand; his hand easily enveloping hers and shook it. "An honor to meet you Cardinal Torquemada." Karin spoke like a proper lady.

"The honor is mine. I assure you." The cardinal released Karin's hand and allowed himself to be led to Eleanor. In a much less frightening fashion, the cardinal offered a bow and received a curtsy. Montmorency let out a breath of relief, if that intense aura earlier had been directed at her, she was sure she would faint.

When the cardinal came before Louise and Montmorency, Louise was quick to introduce her friend. "Ah, then Miss Montmorency, Miss Louise, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." The cardinal spoke with warmth, and a hint of that tone one uses when you are speaking to children. However, neither girl could be too angry in the face of such a gentle giant. Reaching out his hands, he grabbed each girl's offered hand, enveloping them in his massive digits. For a moment he froze mid-bow. The look of surprise on his face drew an odd look from each girl. "Ah, my back." With a pop, he finished his bow and kissed their hands.

There was another pop as he stood back up. The duke led him toward Cattleya, "And this is the one you are here for, my daughter Cattleya."

Taking Cattleya's hand, the Cardinal only dipped his head. "Pardon me, but I think I will refrain from bowing." He spoke jokingly.

Cattleya smiled and suppressed a giggle at his humor. "You are pardoned." She replied.

Straightening up, the Cardinal spoke in a more serious tone. "From what I've been told, you were afflicted with blood corruption." The smile on Cattleya's face faded at the mention of the disease, if it could even be called that. Numerous square class water healers had been called to help her in her youth, yet all had been unable to do anything more than ease her pain. What was worse, her disease was very rare, so there was little to no precedence on dealing with it. At the time she was cured, Cattleya had been the oldest person ever with blood corruption.

A hand placed on her shoulder shook Cattleya from her dark thoughts. "Calm yourself child." His warm smile eased the pit in Cattleya's stomach. "I am a square class water mage, and if you'll permit me I would like to check your health, alright?"

Cattleya nodded, preparing herself for the possibility of bad news. The cardinal's short spell incantation was the only sound as all assembled held their breath. The familiar feel of anther's magic coursing through her veins filled Cattleya. It was something she had never gotten quite used to, but she made no protest.

As quickly as it came, the feeling left. "Amazing." The cardinal whispered. "When I heard you had been healed, I assumed it the disease had stopped producing symptoms, or your constitution had been greatly bolstered. But this, it's like your body never even had the disease." Seeing Cattleya's hopeful face, the Cardinal gave his best smile, "You are cured, beyond a shadow of a doubt this is a miracle from the Founder. Take heart good child, for Brimir has chosen to smile upon you."

The Cardinal was nearly knocked over by the great hug he received from Cattleya. All assembled, even the serious Eleanor and Karin, cheered in merriment, and a knowing smile was shared between two friends.

* * *

><p>That evening, the Cardinal and Montmorency joined the family to feast in celebration. It was the most fun Louise had the pleasure of having in quite some time. What was better, her wish had been the cause of such happiness. There was slight guilt at it being mistaken for an act of the founder, but she was a servant of the founder, so it was technically true, so there was no need to feel bad.<p>

When the feast was over Louise retired to her room, intent on sleeping off that ham. Yet before she even began to change, there was a knock on her door. "Little Louise?" Cattleya's voice whispered in.

With a smile, Louise rushed over and opened her door. "Cattleya!" She chirped, hugging her sister.

When the elder Valliere lifted a finger to her lips, Louise eeped, covering her mouth. "Can I ask a favor Louise?"

Without a thought, Louise replied, "Anything." She owed the world to Cattleya and was more than willing to help her sister in any way.

Handing Louise a coat, Cattleya motioned for Louise to follow. "Then come along."

Wondering as to what Cattleya wanted, Louise followed her sister through the house and out one of the side doors. The sun had already set and the premises were dark, yet Cattleya did not light the lantern she held. After a brief look confirming that no one was around, Cattleya took hold of Louise's hand and pulled her toward the trees out beyond the garden. The two girls entered the forest and dashed through the darkness like a pair of shadows. The further they got from the house, the more Louise worried. What was so important Cattleya had to bring her out here?

The two girls broke into a clearing and Cattleya stopped, letting Louise catch her breath. "Here should be good." The elder Valliere lit the lantern she brought with her and hung it from a small branch at the edge of the clearing.

Louise didn't move from her spot in the clearing. "What is this all about, Cattleya?" She spoke, worry leaking into her voice.

With a weak smile, Cattleya tried to calm Louise. "Well, it's something I was hoping I could ask you for help with. Mother has been very stressed lately so I did not want to bother her." Something only she could help with, Louise had no idea what that could be. "Ever since I healed, my magic has been acting odd. I think it's better if I just show you." Still confused, Louise watched as Cattleya drew her wand and pointed it down the clearing. An incantation flowed from her lips, "Earth Rend!" she finished, calling out her spell.

Yet, there was no great crack and upheaval of earth, instead smoke billowed out as an explosion shook the clearing. Birds across the forest took to the skies, flying from the perceived threat. Louise was stunned, the one with failing magic was supposed to jest be her. Had her wish somehow infect Eleanor with her own problem? That... that was impossible. Tears began to flow down her face. "I'm sorry, Cattleya... I'm so sorry." Louise's knees hit the ground as her legs gave out.

A confused Cattleya rushed to her crying sister's side. "Louise it's not your fault! Don't cry."

"But it is!" Louise choked out between sobs, "I used my wish to heal you and I just messed up your magic!"

Cattleya rubbed her younger sister's back, trying to ease her sorrow. "Louise, we were all wishing for me to get better, but it was Brimir who healed me."

Louise looked up and grabbed her elder sister. "No! I'm serious! My familiar can grant one wish for someone, and I wished for you to be healed!"

In shock, Cattleya could only stare at her crying younger sister. "You had an actual wish, and you wished for me to be healed?" There was awe in Cattleya's voice. Louise's sniffles subsided and she met Cattleya's eyes, only to look down and away, unable to bear the guilt of breaking her sister's magic. "Even though you could have wished to fix your own magic?" Louise nodded, still guilt ridden.

Louise's eyes went wide as her sister embraced her with such ferocity that the air was forced from her lungs. "Louise... thank you."

Louise tried to push her sister off, but had no luck. "Sister, don't thank me, I messed up your magic!"

"I don't care about that!" Cattleya cried tears of joy. "Do you know how many times I wished to be healed, even at the expense of my magic, my nobility? I would have given anything for this body! So don't be shamed Louise, never be ashamed of this gift you have given me."

Looking down, Louise could only smile at the love of her sister. She didn't know when she moved to return the hug, but Louise found herself sharing an embrace with her sister. The two stayed there and embraced each other for a time before finally breaking apart, each rubbing tears from their eyes.

"Hey, now that we both have the same problem, that doubles our chances of figuring out a solution." Cattleya spoke, trying to lighten the mood. Louise could only enthusiastically nod, still choked up. "How about you show me your magic, and we'll compare? It's why I brought you out here after all."

Louise could only agree with the idea. Maybe together they could figure out the problem with exploding spells? "I'll try, stay behind me." Louise turned to where Cattleya had cast her spell. "I haven't used my magic in a couple days," since the kidnapping, but Cattleya didn't need to hear about that just yet, "so let's be careful." When Cattleya was safely behind her, Louise began her incantation, "Rin EX Cal! Fireball!"

It was tiny, it was weak, but it was there. A tiny ball of flame, no bigger than her fist, wafted across the clearing. The ball was so weak it fizzled out before even touching the ground. Yet, it was so magnificent that Louise wanted to cry. Her whole life, Louise had been waiting for this. Her magic. Working correctly. Yet, why now? When she needed her explosions most. Guild and happiness swirled within Louise, how could she help Cattleya now? Two hands fell on Louise's shoulders. "Congratulations, little Louise, I am very proud of you."

Tears began to form once again in Louise's eyes as she turned to Cattleya. Only to stop in surprise when Cattleya flicked her forehead. "Don't cry, I know exactly what you are thinking. I hate to take a page from Eleanor's playbook, but think rationally for a moment. If you have been making explosions up until now, and your magic is fixed..." Cattleya trailed off, waiting for Louise to pick up.

The cogs in Louise's head began turning. "Since my magic has recently been fixed, then something I did in the last few days did it!" The solution to Cattleya's explosion magic was even closer than if they both still had the problem.

Cattleya smiled as realization flooded into Louise. "So tell me Louise, what have you done in the past few days that you haven't before?"

Well, she had gotten into a duel, broke into a school vault, been taken hostage, made a wish, become a magical girl, and fought a giant earth golem. Louise smiled weakly, realizing how much excitement she had been put through the past few days. Putting a hand to her chin, Louise began thinking. Her last explosion was used on the school vault, and that was the biggest she'd used ever. So really it was either that, the fight with Fouquet, or becoming a magical girl by wishing her sister healed that did it. "Well, I obviously made the wish with Kyuubey, but I also used a lot more magic recently than I usually do. A huge amount more really."

Hand on her chin, Cattleya mimicked her sister. "So either wish, or use a lot of magic... I can't try either of those right now, unless your invisible friend is about." Sheepishly, Louise realized she'd left the familiar in her room, sleeping on the bed. "Well, we can't do anything about it now, since trying to empty my willpower at night in the middle of the forest might not be wise." She smiled at her own joke. "You talk to your familiar and see if the wish had anything to do with it, and see if I can make a wish even if I can't see him. I'll try using up my willpower tomorrow and we'll go from there, okay?" Louise smiled and nodded. It was really nice to have Cattleya relying on her for once.

"Now, let's get to bed."

* * *

><p>Louise was feeling great when she left her sister at the hallway split. Cattleya's room was in another section of the house that had a better view of the garden, a small pleasure for when she was bedridden. Louise made for her own room, but stopped as she neared her parents' room. As confident as she was and as happy as they were, maybe now was the time to tell them about capturing Fouquet. It wasn't like Louise would be stealing attention from Cattleya now anyways. Plus, she could show them her working magic, Mother would be so proud!<p>

Getting closer to the room, Louise noticed the door was ajar. With a peek, she realized both her father and mother were not inside. Odd, where could they be? Curios as she was, Louise wandered the halls, moving toward her father's office. Maybe he was going over some documents? Light coming from beneath the door to her father's office confirmed Louise's suspicions and she quickened her pace. She was almost to the door when she stopped dead in her tracks.

"You _can't_ be serious!"

Her mother's hiss was absolutely _venomous_. Never before had Louise heard her mother so angry, it was chilling. Animal instincts within Louise kicked into gear and she shrunk to the wall, hiding in the shadows. Carefully, she crept closer to the door. "I wish I were madam, but I do not jest about such things." The second voice was most assuredly the cardinal's. It was a testament to the man's courage that he was unshaken despite knowing full well who he was angering.

"Yet you could be wrong. Correct?" Louise's father spoke, his voice even, yet stern.

Louise dared not look though the crack in the door, lest she be noticed. "I have not spent a lifetime in combat of the undead to be unable to notice one when I touch one." One of Louise's parents must have been about to step in, because the cardinal continued hastily. "_But_, in respect for each of you, I will admit a slight possibility of error. A simple phylactery test is all that is required; Louise and her friend don't even need to know its purpose."

They were talking about Montmorency and her! Louise nearly gasped, but caught herself, what could she possibly have done? "It is absurd to even think it." Louise's father spoke, "My Louise, a _lich_."

Her hands shot to her mouth to muffles the gasp she could not suppress. They thought she had become a lich? It was absurd! Such an accusation, she would never live it down! And if the cardinal flubbed the test, she would be burned at the stake! "Relax husband, the cardinal is mistaken." Steel filled her mother's voice. "You can have your test. I assume you only need a moment to determine what the phylactery is?" There was a pause; Louise could only guess the man was nodding. "Then you get one chance, tell my daughter you seek to bless the jewel you claim is her phylactery, and when you find you were in error, you will leave and never return. If I catch even a _whiff_ of your inquisition in my territory, I will rend them apart before they can so much as blink. Am I clear?"

"Completely madam."

Louise stayed no longer. She could not listen to another moment of the horrible accusations. She needed to leave. Nearly stumbling over her own feet, she darted through the hallways as fast as she could manage while keeping her steps soft. It wasn't long before she reached Montmorency's room. Without a knock, she slipped into the room. "Wha?" A sleepy Montmorency sat up, awakened by the intrusion.

"Montmorency, wake up!" Louise hissed, pressing her ear to the door to make sure she was not followed.

Confused, Montmorency was awake enough to understand something serious was going on, so she rubbed her face and tried to shake herself awake. "Louise, what is wrong." She asked worriedly,

Unable to contain it, Louise nearly ranted, "I was going to talk to my parents but they were talking to the cardinal who said we were liches but that's not true and so I ran down here and found you so I could warn you-"

Montmorency grabbed Louise's shoulders, stopping the girl who was starting to break into hysterical tears. "Calm down Louise, that's absurd. We both know we aren't right?" Louise nodded hesitantly. "And obviously they'd have to test us right?" Again, Louise nodded, this time more coherent. "So we'll just go along with the test, there is nothing to worry about." Louise sighed, realizing she was just overreacting. Her mother's anger had scared her so much, she hadn't thought rationally. The test was even going to be done discreetly; there would be absolutely zero social embarrassment.

Nodding, Louise thanked her friend. "Your right Mon, thanks for that." Montmorency just smiled and squeezed her friend's shoulder reassuringly. "I mean, it's silly," Louise joked off her earlier stress, "I certainly don't remember moving my soul to an amulet or gem, do yo-"

The two girls froze as the color rushed from their faces. Not even breathing, they stared at each other as fear rushed through minds. Slowly, they each looked down to the humble ring upon their hand.

Their Soul Gem.

It couldn't be literal right? Liches were skeletons. They were flesh and blood! They could not be liches. "This can't be my soul." Montmorency brought the ring to her face, grasping her hand to keep it from shaking. "We need to get Kyuubey!" Montmorency's voice cracked under the pressure. "Obviously he'd know right?"

"Know what?" Louise had never expected the high pitched voice of her familiar could inspire such terror. Two beady red eyes gleamed from the open window where the small creature sat upon the sill.

Not knowing why, Louise nearly laughed. "This can't be my soul. Right Kyuubey? It can't!" She stumbled toward her familiar. This was all a mistake, right?

"Of course it's your soul. It's a soul gem."

Louise's legs gave out, and her knees hit the floor. That couldn't be true. It couldn't. Next to her, tears hit the ground. Montmorency stood stock still, tears flowing down her face. The blonde broke, speaking though her tears. "Why would you do this! Why would you trick us like this!"

The Kyuubey simply flicked its tail and continued with that cold, impassive stare. "I didn't trick you. I said you would summon a soul gem. I don't see why you are so upset. Fouquet would have crushed you if I left your soul inside your body. You think a normal person could endure the pain of being flung across the forest by that golem? You blocked out the worst of the pain during your fight. You think you could do this while your consciousness is not separate from your body? You could not."

"I hate you." Louise, full of hatred, cursed from the floor.

With a tilt of its head, the Kyuubey asked, "Why are you so upset, what is the difference between the you now and the you before?"

"I'm a _LICH _now!" Louise hissed, rearing up and glaring at the Kyuubey. "If the church finds out, we'll be burned at the stake! Our families will fall into dishonor, and we will forever be remembered as foul demons that strayed from Brimir!" It took everything Louise had to keep from screaming.

Again, the Kyuubey responded with that same, slightly curious tone, "That's not my fault. The people who would kill you are ignorant."

Louise was ready to throttle the little devil. A scream started to rumble in her throat, only for it to catch when Montmorency grabbed her shoulder. "This is useless. Trying to talk religion and souls with an animal... We... we need to think of a plan." Though she hated to admit it, raging at the ignorant familiar before her solved nothing. "If the cardinal inspects our soul gems it's all over." Montmorency tried to harden her resolve, but only managed a weak smile.

Trying to ignore her boiling emotions, Louise thought furiously. "Even if we hide them, the cardinal probably can find them. If we return to school, he'll simple follow." Montmorency's face started to show worry, realizing what Louise meant. "We need to run away."

Montmorency's breath hitched. "Louise, you can't be serious. Let's go to my family, they'll bar the Cardinal entrance to our land."

With a solemn shake of her head, Louise spoke with resignation, "If either of our families shelter us, an inquisition will be called. They'd kill your entire family." Montmorency covered her mouth; the church wouldn't do that, right? "If we run away, neither of our families can be implicated, and we can delay a full investigation." Louise rubbed the tears from her eyes. Now was not the time to break down. She needed to be strong. "The question is where we go."

"Romalia." Montmorency replied without hesitation, wiping her own tears away.

Louise's eyes went wide, not expecting that idea. But... it could work. "That's brilliant Mon. If any place has knowledge of restoring liches to humans, it would be the paladin library; they've dealt with undead for generations. Plus, we can speak to the pope! Surely he would hear our plea!"

The blonde girl smiled, embarrassed, "I just figured no one would look for a pair of liches in Romalia."

Ignoring her friend's embarrassment, Louise grabbed her tightly. "Pack some clothing; we ride for Romalia within the hour." Turning, Louise gave a hard look at her familiar. "You are coming too."

That surprised Montmorency. "You sure Louise?"

Without taking her eyes off the impassively staring creature, Louise nodded. "If we leave him alone, there is not telling what he'll do. Plus, we might need him to restore us." However much she loathed the beast, he was her familiar, her responsibility.

* * *

><p>Under the cover of night, two girls walked a pair of horses out and away from the Valliere mansion. Leaving behind only a false message, they stole away toward an unknown future.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7: Fugitives

Well, here you guys go. I originally planned this to be two chapters, but it did not flow right, so you get a condensed version.

On a random note, I have been unable to figure out if pope and cardinal need to be capitalized when not accompanying a name as a title. I have been thinking no for cardinal and yes for pope, but if someone knows, could you leave it in a comment so I can edit and use proper grammar?

**Chapter 7: Fugitives**

For the hundredth time that day, Montmorency tugged at her itchy shirt. Louise had insisted they wear commoner clothing so as not draw undue attention to themselves. Not only that, but her friend had also insisted they trade their fine, well-groomed horses for an old Clydesdale and a rickety old wagon. Sure it was a bit easier on her rump to sit on the wagon's bench than ride all day, but not by much. Plus, they covered ground less than half as fast. Though, according to Louise, it didn't matter how fast they moved, only that they weren't detected. The cardinal had a dragon after all, and if he caught wind of their heading, even a purebred stallion wouldn't help against the speed of a dragon.

When they had been searching for a replacement horse, it had turned out that Louise was quite knowledgeable about horses; something she said she learned from her sister Cattleya and gathered over years of riding practice. Not that Montmorency didn't know how to ride; she just usually filled her free time with potions, magic, and social activities. Things that Louise had never been able to partake in, so it made a little sense why the girl had taken to more independent activities.

It was because of this revelation about how Louise spent her time that made the girl's current actions all the more impressive. Louise was currently holding the reigns of the wagon with one hand, and doing the basic fire cantrip, 'kindle', with the other. The spell was meant to teach basic fire control and serve as a way to start fires by producing a brief burst of flame, yet Louise had managed a constant stream for about a minute now. "Not that I'm not happy about your sudden jump in skill Louise." Montmorency warned with a glance to the sky, "But weren't you the one who stressed we travel incognito?"

With a flick of the wand, the fire was extinguished and Louise turned to Montmorency, "We are in the middle of nowhere right now Mon, I'll see anyone long before they see my little fire." Louise gestured to the empty plains around them. "Besides, if we do end up needing to defend ourselves, a little fire magic is a far cry less noticeable than transforming."

Montmorency sighed, giving up keeping Louise from her practice. "Fine, fine. I'm still surprised you can do this without the help of the professors." Nearly everyone had a tough time starting out in their element. For anyone to take the first steps so easily, it was remarkable.

Once again Louise began to cast a cantrip, this time it was 'salamander writing' a mainly useless cantrip that left a trail of quickly dying embers. Twirling her wand, Louise wrote out illegible letters in the air. "Well it's not like I'm starting from scratch, I've memorized nearly every spell backwards and forwards." Embers got to close to the wooden bench of the wagon and Louise extinguished her spell. "All that was left was to actually _do_ the magic. I wonder if I am just good, or am too used to such a handicap this all seems painfully easy?" Montmorency had no words. It was awkward talking about Louise's old magic problems; they inevitably reminded Montmorency of her callous behavior in the past. Picking up on Montmorency's discomfort, Louise changed the subject. "I wonder why my magic fixed itself?" There was a pause as she looked over her shoulder, back at a certain white familiar. "Hey." Louise spoke in a slightly hostile voice with displeasure written across her face. "You think you your lichification had anything to do with this?"

The Kyuubey was intelligent enough to stay out of arms reach from the girls, but it sat up to reply. "More or less it is safe to say that something of the wishing process changed your innate magic. However, it was an unintended side effect." Unwilling to look at the Kyuubey any longer, Louise turned back to the road without a word. "Ah, you are still upset." The Kyuubey commented to both of the girls. Neither denied the observation. "I still do not see the problem you have with me. I merely helped you. I can't be held responsible for third party reactions." Louise clenched her fist, squeezing the leather reigns with all her might. "And even then, your wishes were granted. Knowing what you know now, would you not make your wishes again?"

Both girls eyes' snapped open as the question stuck them to the core. Of course they would not want to become liches... But then Cattleya would still by withering away. But then Louise might be dead...

"Be quiet familiar." Louise commanded, irritated beyond belief. "Don't expect any thanks for your deceptions." The moment of annoyance lasted several seconds longer, before Louise finally let her breath out, giving up once again at being angry at her familiar. It was too exhausting and the little thing just didn't _understand_, which made it all the more vexing.

The two girls slowly fell back into a more comfortable silence, ignoring the creature behind them. It was a good deal later that Montmorency spoke up. "Louise," she began, worry in her voice, "When I suggested going to Romalia, I meant more like an outlying village or something to lay low. But if we go to the holy city, let alone the headquarters of the paladins, won't we be discovered?"

Louise looked over at her friend and smirked. "While it's true paladins are trained to fight the undead along with being the strong arm of inquisitions, we don't to worry as long as we are careful." Acing mundane classes like history and religion had their upsides. Ticking off her points with the trailing embers of her wand, Louise explained. "Detect undead is a single target spell that checks animated bodies for proper souls and soul manipulation. Sure if someone casts it on us they'd see a big glowing 'I'm a lich' line between us and our soul gem, but it's a rather complex line spell so no one is going to just randomly cast it on us. We'll just have to be sure not to be recognized, which shouldn't be too hard. The cardinal won't launch an inquisition without the pope's authority, and the pope won't give that without contacting Tristain's." All this was speculation, but Louise was pretty sure she had the situation figured out. They'd be in and out long before the pope could contact Tristain.

Still, even with Louise's confidence Montmorency was not convinced. "Didn't you say the Cardinal Tomas detected us with touch?"

With a wave of her wand, Louise dismissed her cantrip, "The cardinal is the exception, not the rule. Only high class mages have magic senses, and even among them it's very rare. Like some fire mages can sense body temperatures. I bet he can sense water flow within the blood or something. Water magic _is_ the magic of the body." Louise's hand found its way to her chin while she thought about the cardinal's ability. With a nod, she assured herself of her deduction. "We'll be safe anyways and limit bodily contact with people, which shouldn't really be hard."

While not completely convinced, Montmorency decided to trust Louise. If nothing else, the girl was pretty smart. Still in her thinking pose, Louise's brow furrowed. "That reminds me." A sour look crossed her face as she turned back to Kyuubey. "I'm pretty knowledgeable about liches, but we definitely aren't the textbook definition, what with the still beating hearts and not-a-decomposing-monstrosity bodies. I'm going to need you to confirm some things for me." Internally, Louise smirked. This would be a good way to get a read on her familiar. According to the summoning spell, Familiars were supposed to be extensions of the mage, so she naturally trusted the Kyuubey from the get go. However, that had not turned out too well, so she needed to figure out if his naiveté was an act, or he really didn't understand that lichdom was a bad thing.

The little creature sat back up, giving no response. It only looked at Louise expectantly. Fine. "Liches are said to have a maximum range they can be from their phylacteries. Do we have the same limitations?" The first one was theoretically testable.

For a moment, Louise didn't think the creature would respond. But after a moment's thought, it responded, "If you move to far away from your bodies, you won't be able to manipulate them. That is true. The range is about one hundred meters."

Louise suppressed a shiver. She wished she hadn't noticed Kyuubey's distinct phrasing of his answer. Trying to shake the nervousness off, Louise continued, "What about our bodies, I've checked and I still _seem_ alive. I'm not going to decompose, am I?" Thoughts of the drawings of liches she had seen filled Louise's mind; skeletons bleached white with barely any flesh on them.

There was a pause again, but the creature replied after a moment. "Your body still functions properly. Given enough time you will age and die." Again, it answered with nothing more than was asked, but Louise could detect no lie. Though, she truly hoped it was the truth, so her bias was arguably clouding her judgment.

"There was something else to. When I transformed, it was like I instinctively knew how to use my powers, and even though I haven't tried, I think I'd be able to fly on my staff. Why is that and is there anything I can do that I don't instinctively know?" Louise smirked, this was both something she needed information on, and a question that didn't lend itself to a small answer.

After the same small pause, the Kyuubey replied. "Your abilities come from the Soul Gem, so it is natural that you have knowledge of your own limits. However, you are right in assuming you are capable of more. Senior magical girls often expand their abilities with practice and experimentation with their magic."

That was probably the most verbose answer the small creature had given Louise ever. Slightly taken off guard Louise put a point in naive rather than deceitful. It almost seemed like the small creature was just too fixated on magic to understand anything else. Still, there was a question she hadn't asked yet, one she had been afraid to ask. "And you no know way of changing us back?"

The Kyuubey tilted its head to the side. "There is no way to return to being a regular human after becoming a magical girl."

Louise looked away from her familiar to hide the fearful expression. "You say that, but you can't be sure. You only know that _you_ don't have a solution." She told herself as much as the Kyuubey.

A small hand rested on Louise's, causing her to look up at a smiling Montmorency. "You can fly on your staff? Take me for a ride sometime okay?"

Blushing in embarrassment, Louise looked away. Here she was talking about all this stuff about being liches, and Montmorency was just worrying about her. "If we fix ourselves I won't be able to give you a ride, blockhead." Montmorency only giggled at her insult.

* * *

><p>Karin Valliere thought herself an unshakeable person. Yet when she had found her youngest daughter missing, she had very nearly attacked Cardinal Tomas. The assumption that he would attack her daughter in the middle of the night was foolish to be sure. If he had planned that, he would not have informed her of his suspicions. It had taken a great deal of resolve to appear calm before the Cardinal as he flew off to look for the runaways. Despite knowing that the cardinal randomly spotting the two girls would be incredibly unlikely, the possibility still bothered her.<p>

Once the cardinal had left, Karin had sent her familiar out to look for her daughter. Her manticore would have a far better chance finding Louise than the cardinal's dragon, it knew Louise's scent. Something she thanked Brimir that the cardinal's dragon lacked. Her husband seemed to think that they should do more than send out one familiar. "We could spread the word, every town in Tristain could have their descriptions by tomorrow."

Taking a moment to sip her wine, Karin let the alcohol calm her nerves before she looked back at her husband. "I told you this yesterday dear. Either Louise really is throwing a fit and will be back once her stomach has been empty long enough, or she caught wind of the cardinal's intentions and ran."

Mouth gaping, the Duke Valliere restrained his voice, "Surely you can't be serious! Louise would never turn from Brimir, even under pain of death."

Karin placed a hand on her husband's shoulder, trying to calm the man. "I agree, I was only pointing out the absurdity of it. That girl's zeal is so strong I worry she'll become a nun someday. Louise will be back soon. Either that, or she'll seek refuge within our lands and whatever inn she hides out in will inform us."

"Are you so sure mother? I could see Louise delving into dark magics to fulfill her greatest desire." A dry, objective voice sounded from the study entrance. Eleanor entered with a sourer than usual expression.

Karin looked her eldest over, trying to read just what Eleanor meant. Both Eleanor and Cattleya had been informed of the cardinal's suspicions yesterday, as soon as the cardinal had left. Cattleya had taken it as expected, slinking away to the gardens and forest to spend time with her animals and worrying endlessly. Eleanor had unexpectedly shut herself in her room and refused to talk with anyone. "While I am glad you have finally shown yourself Eleanor, don't tell me you believe Louise would seek to become a lich. The girl may struggle with her magic, but she would not commit heresy to overcome her handicap."

Eleanor nodded her head in agreement, but her expression did not change. "That much is true, but Louise's greatest desire is not something she would grant herself, but rather someone else." The blonde academic paused, letting realization dawn on her parents. "That's right, if Louise found a way of curing Cattleya during her many hours of studying to improve her own magic. Do you not think she would take it, no matter the cost?"

Karin set her wine down, no longer being able to stand the taste. "Even accepting the Louise would do anything for Cattleya, it is too absurd..."

"I wouldn't bring this up without suspicions of my own." Eleanor pushed her glasses up to her forehead, more out of habit than need. "I found both Louise and her friend with their familiars next to a binding circle the night we met on our way here. Louise claimed it was for studying, but what if the two of them had become liches recently? Familiar runes would fail and need to be re-branded if a mage were to become undead." Eleanor continued, not letting her father interrupt, "Then there is Cattleya, mysteriously healed, and off practicing magic in the forest. Did you know her magic is acting much like Louise's used to? She hides the sound of her explosions within the trees."

Karin did _not_ know about Cattleya's magic... "These things support the cardinal's suspicion, yet are not proof. Besides, would you turn against Louise if she were a lich?" She began, meeting her daughter's gaze.

With a sigh, Eleanor conceded, "Of course I would not turn on my sister, but all signs point to Louise being in over her head. I wanted you to tell you everything I knew before I left."

"Daughter," the Duke spoke up, "You are returning to the academy while your sister is missing?" There was no pain in his voice, only concern.

Once again, Eleanor nodded, "Yes, if my hypothesis is correct, and I believe it is. Then I can do the most good for Louise back with my research supplies and books. I'll see if I can't find something to help her if she has become a lich. If I'm wrong, then I'll just be wasting some time studying."

With that, Eleanor excused herself and left the study, stopping only when her mother called after her. "Take care, daughter."

"I will." Eleanor replied. The research might prove fruitless, but she had to try. That Louise, always worrying her elders.

"This is absurd." The duke muttered, not fully believing his own words.

"Indeed," Karin agreed, "but our daughter is right. Even if it's a small chance, we should act as if Louise has become a lich. We'll delay sending out word as long as we can. Buy the girl some time to get a head start on the church. Hopefully, we'll be wrong and she'll come home soon."

* * *

><p>Days on the road passed slower than Louise and Montmorency were used to, but it wasn't entirely unpleasant. With little to no excitement to speak of, it was easier to relax and try to forget about their current situation and get lost in idle chatter. Louise was thankful her familiar spoke so little for the first time. It may be hard getting anything useful from it, but at least it left them alone. About halfway through Gallia Montmorency finally stopped checking the skies every five minutes and she had been much more talkative since then. A little too talkative in certain cases. "So we will be traveling to Romalia to seek Brimir's aid for a rampant illness that is claiming our village!" She spoke dramatically, bringing up her arms in emphasis.<p>

Sighing, Louise extinguished her latest cantrip. "Blockhead... Listen, if we use that cover story, they might summon a water mage to check us for a plague."

With a pout, Montmorency turned away. "Fine fine, we'll go with your plan. Our grandmother died and we are bringing her ashes to Romalia's capital, her place of birth. It's just so boring."

Shaking her head and smiling, Louise excused her friend's active imagination. Five days on the road had a way of making imaginations overactive. "Yes, well boring tends to be forgettable; which is our goal mind you. We'll be reaching the capital soon, so stick to the story." Montmorency just rolled her eyes, knowing another lecture when she saw one. Puffing out her cheeks, Louise huffed in at the indignity. Only to let her jaw drop as they crested a hill.

Romalia's holy city came into view and it was _dazzling_. The holy city's unofficial title, the floating city, really was spot on. The city itself sat on the ocean using the water as main streets, with stone walkways and side streets holding the blocks of buildings together. Louise wondered what mages managed to create such a masterpiece. Surely powerful earth and water mages working together. It was really all she dreamed it would be.

With a shake of her head, Louise dismissed the frivolous thoughts from her mind. It was time to get serious. Five days of traveling and four nights of preparation had led up to this moment. Glancing at Montmorency, she found comprehension in the girl's eyes. With only one nod to each other, they looked ahead toward the holy city. This is where they would find their answers.

* * *

><p>Louise counted herself lucky to arrive just as the sun was setting. Hopefully, they could slip into the Paladin's library unnoticed. With the cart left outside of town at an inn, the two liches had entered the city on foot. Dress as they were, no one gave the two a second glance as they made their way toward the center of the city. According to a merchant closing his shop, the paladin main building was just north of the Pope's estate, though commoners were not allowed entrance except during specific visiting dates.<p>

The restrictions on access were not news to Louise, and had she briefly toyed with the idea of presenting herself as a noble. However, drawing attention to themselves was too risky.

As they came upon the main gate, Louise steeled herself. Gripping her fist to stop her shaking hand, Louise convinced herself that the plan would work. The plan was solid enough, but Louise found herself wishing they could spend a night in the city and scope out the place. However, she reminded herself that they were only a day and half away from Tristain by flight, so if the cardinal had immediately sought to start an inquisition, it could very well be active by tomorrow. Louise could only hope that her childhood friend, Princess Henrietta, would stall any demand for an inquisition. Besides, Louise reminded herself, that logic assumed no time for paperwork and the pope agreeing to launch an inquisition without a second thought. With that reassurance, Louise turned to the task at hand.

There was no doubt they had found the paladin headquarters. The shield symbol was etched both in the main gate, and on the massive building within. Even without the obvious markings, the courtyard was spartan save for a single statue of Brimir and some well-trimmed shrubs. It was obviously more military designed then the other, more traditional sectors of the church. An iron barred fence surrounded the building, topped with points to deter anyone from climbing over. The building itself was stone, but the windows were low enough that if they could get past the gate, getting inside the main building wouldn't be an issue.

Two guards stood watch at the main gate, and Louise could see another making a patrol around the side of the building. "You're up familiar." Despite her reservations, Louise had no reason to believe her familiar was out to see her killed, and if they were going to infiltrate a place as secure as the paladin headquarters, they would need every advantage.

With a nod, the Kyuubey darted off toward the main gate while Louise and Montmorency kept their pace and made to pass by, moving toward the pope's estate. No one would think it odd for two travelers to go and catch sight of his eminence.

Out of the corner of her eye, Louise noted one of the guards lazily looking toward her. She didn't spare him a glance, and he returned to lazily zoning out. On schedule, Louise and Montmorency moved around the edge of the fence and made for a side street. _"Done."_ Her Kyuubey's voice filled her head. _"Two guards at the gate, one patrolling each wall. I'll distract your side's guard when you are ready."_

The next part was the real crux of the plan. If their alternative magic could be detected like normal magic, it would mean beating a hasty retreat. However, everything Louise knew about how magic worked said that would be impossible; detectors worked by sensing from a library of disturbances, something as esoteric as their own magic would be an unknown. At least, that was how it should work.

Quelling her fears, Louise nodded to Montmorency. _"Now familiar."_

As soon as Louise gave the go ahead, one of the shrubs lining the fence rustled, drawing the nearby guard's attention. With a light trot, the halberd wielding guard made his way away from his post to investigate. In that moment, Louise and Montmorency leapt from the side street. Cloaks trailing behind them in the night air. It was almost a shame they had to cover up their clothes, Louise briefly thought. In spite of the sinister connotations of being a magical girl, she still admired the costume was exquisite.

Not even bothering with the first floor, Louise willed her staff into life and held onto it. Focusing on the metal rod, she repeated the feat she had only done for the first time the night prior, when she and Montmorency had practiced everything they would need. Instead of falling to the grass below like Montmorency, Louise hung in the air, one hand gripping her floating staff. For a moment, Louise's breath hitched. Yet, no alarm sounded to accompany her use of magic. Success!

Careful not to revel in her victory, Louise reached out and drifted closer to the third story window. With a quick push, the pane glass window swung inward. After all, who bothered locking the third story? Any sniff of levitation and the magic detectors would be going off like crazy. Louise looked down to a waiting Montmorency, who was glancing at a still retreating guard and up at Louise. One wave later and Montmorency propelled herself upward with a mighty leap. In one movement, she was in the window with Louise right on her tail. Louise only spared one look back out the window as she closed it, seeing the guard moving back toward his post, looking around confused. Had he heard Montmorency's leap? Louise could not be sure, but the guard didn't look intent on anything rash, so she left it. "Alright, stage two." Montmorency shared the serious look, and nodded.

With a faded flash of light, the two girl's transformed out of their magical girl forms revealing common, but respectable dresses. With even strides, the girls made their way down the empty hallway, making no effort to hide their presence. It wasn't long before they came across a maid. "Excuse me." Montmorency said, alerting the maid. "We are scribes sent here to copy books, could you direct us to the library?"

Fleeting suspicion passed through the maid's eyes. "I didn't know we were having scribes in the library. I suppose you'll need me to clean up after you?" The question was kept polite, but Louise knew the hidden meaning. That maid would be following up on them to make sure their mess didn't get her in trouble."

Clasping her hands together, Louise pleaded in a hushed tone. "Please, we got lost on our way to the city, we were supposed to be here yesterday. We figure if we work through the night and catch up, we won't be fired. I promise we'll clean up after ourselves."

The maid's face softened. "The library is on the other end of the building, the main entrance is on the first floor, but you can get in through the auxiliary door on the second, I'll take you. We commoners gotta look out for each other right?" Louise nearly lost her cover from the feeling of guilt she got. However, she would be doing no harm to this maid, so it was just a white lie really.

As Montmorency and Louise followed the maid down a flight of stairs and down a hallway, they approached a pair of older paladins chatting. The wooden shield emblem around their necks struck fear into Louise's heart. Despite everything Louise had convinced herself of, she still half-expected the two men before her to turn and shout the alarm. It took everything she had for Louise to suppress the urge to run past the paladins, and even more not to sigh in relief when neither paladin reacted their presence as they passed.

A hand grabbed Louise's and squeezed. Once glance to her right revealed a smiling Montmorency. Louise forced a smile of her own, and some of her tension was eased. The maid stopped before a door and turned. "You'll find the library through here, make sure you don't make a mess okay?"

"We promise." Montmorency filled in. Louise thanked her friend silently. After the scare with the paladins, she didn't trust her own voice.

Once the maid was on her way back to her duties, Louise and Montmorency opened the door to the library. While no marvel, the two story Library was quite impressive. Rows of shelves lined the bottom floor, and the upper floor was only a walkway and a wall of shelves that ringed along with the circular wall. Magical lanterns hung suspended, illuminating the room. "Can I help you?" A voice sounded from below.

Breath hitching once again, Louise looked down to meet the questioning stare of what could only be the librarian. Middle aged and permanently scowling, she fit the bill exactly. Still, they had planned for this, even at night it was unlikely that the books would be unattended. "Yes actually." Louise spoke with forced cheer as she made her way down the narrow stairs to the lower floor. "My coworker and I were summoned to help with scribing." Louise gestured to Montmorency. Taking her cue, Montmorency dug her hand into her cloak pocket and removed a quill and ink vial. Without speaking, she sat down at one of the tables and unstopped the ink.

The librarian could only furrow her brow in confusion, "We have no need of scribes, did that fool Lawrence send for you? Regardless, you'll have to leave." Montmorency only continued to set up her workstation, dipping her quill in ink.

"Are you sure, we came all the way here. Is there nothing you need done? Maybe just some organizing. We are both youthful and you must have some troubles." Louise spoke, keeping the librarians attention on her.

The wrinkled librarian glared at the insinuation that she was too old for her job. "Listen here." She advanced on the smaller pink haired girl. "I do not need your assistance. Leave before I call a guard." A minor, but sharp pain lanced down the Librarian's arm. With a jerk, she looked down to find a quill sticking out of it. "Wha-" was all she said before collapsing.

Louise made sure to catch the Librarian, lest her collapse be heard. "Ugh. Help me out Mon." Montmorency lifted the librarian's legs and they quickly shuffled over to another table. It was awkward, but they managed to place the older woman on a bench. Once again, Montmorency withdrew a vial from her pocket and removed the stopper. While Louise held the librarian steady, Montmorency held the vial beneath their unconscious friend's nose. Not a second later, Louise felt the librarian's muscles tense up.

Carefully releasing the librarian; Louise took a step back slowly, still expecting the lad to topple. Montmorency had no such worries. She immediately began forcing the paralyzed librarian into a better pose. One book off the nearest shelf later, and it looked like the grumpy old librarian was calmly reading, if a bit still. "Really Mon, I'm impressed."

Montmorency smiled triumphantly. "You are not the only one with strengths Louise. I don't just make perfumes." Louise picked up the vial from where Montmorency had set it and gave the concoction a curious look. "Careful with that," Montmorency warned, "We'll need to reapply it every half hour."

Shaking the vial, Louise watched the concoction swirl within. "Why not just inject a little like the sleeping draft?"

With a snort, Montmorency replied, "You can do that if you want to kill her. That stuff is deadly, but it's safe as long as you only smell it. It was actually invented to be a remedy for a skin disease, believe it or not." Louise nodded, still impressed with her friend.

Yet, there was no time to doddle, they had managed to gain access to the paladin's library without incident, but there was studying to be done, and only this night to do it.

* * *

><p>The actual studying part of their plan was far less exciting than the infiltration. Only once had someone entered the library, but the man retreated seeing only the librarian and two girls reading. Besides that minor fright, the night dragged on slowly. They would flip through the massive index, find books with references to liches, and then pull them off the shelves. Annoying as it was, they had to return the books as well. Even though Louise wished to have a pile of books she might need to reference, such a mess might draw an inquiry from a visitor. So instead they each limited themselves to only a few books at a time to fervently skim through. Basic textbooks, historical references to past raids, even a couple diary's; they skimmed through anything that might have to do with liches. "Ugh," Montmorency complained resting her head on her latest open book. "Same thing again. How many stories telling of Brimir's adventures against the ancient liches do we need? I get that Brimir was a hero like, twelve times over, but do every single one of his exploits need a library dedicated to him?"<p>

Hiding a giggle, Louise ignored her friend's sacrilegious comment and kept reading her latest find. It was the research diary of a long dead paladin. The man had apparently been studying phylacteries. Louise's attention snapped to full alert as she came across a passage, "Phylacteries are notoriously hard to destroy. Yet if I could undo the process of soul removal rather than seek to destroy the container, might that not bypass enchantments? Surely a soul rejoined with a long dead body would lead to death." Louise read the words aloud, causing Montmorency to lean over and see for herself. "Lich magic was created as a perverse copy of void magic, maybe a perverse copy of their own magic could lead to their undoing?" That was something Louise had not known about lich and void magic, yet it made a little sense. Void magic was sometimes called the magic of the soul. The problem was, the old paladin had never completed his work. "Montmorency go find that history tome on Brimir and the ancient liches. The one translated from the old tongue."

Montmorency raised an eyebrow, but followed her friends order and quickly retrieved the volume. "I don't see why you need this, you've read as much on Brimir and the ancient liches as I have."

Louise took the tome and quickly flipped to the page she remembered. "Yes I know, but this had a reference to the creation of lich magic, maybe we can complete this man's work?" Finally finding what she was looking for, Louise read aloud slowly, "Then did Brimir cast down the liches of old. Their magic a jealous imitation of all that he was, and said, 'You who would seek eternal life find only death. Did your bodies not rot away as soon as you left them? Did your hearts not cease to beat? It is in my power to return you to what you once were, if you will only ask.' Yet, in spite of Brimir's unending compassion, the liches raged against him even in defeat. Summoning all their power, they set loose a great demon upon Brimir. While Brimir fought the demon, the remaining liches scattered to the four winds. After defeating their demon, Brimir condemned the liches, never again offering salvation to those that had turned away." A big smile formed across Louise's face. "This is it."

Confusion leaking into her voice, Montmorency asked, "What do you mean this is it? There was nothing we could use to complete the paladin's work in there."

Raising a finger, Louise poked her friend's forehead, "I know, but I doubt we can complete in one night what the paladin failed to complete in years." Louise pointed at the old passage before her. "But here is a direct quote from Brimir referencing decay of the body being central to being a lich. If we brought this before the pope, we could argue that we are something different from liches, and seek his aid. Brimir even is mentioned offering salvation to liches, shouldn't the pope offer the same to us 'not-liches'?"

Clasping her hands together, Montmorency got what her friend was saying. "So we would be able to research a cure for ourselves under the protection of the pope himself!"

Louise nodded along. "Exactly, it would be a far cry easier than sneaking into the paladin library in the dead of night. I'm sure once the mess is worked out, the paladin's would welcome free research in to what could be a valuable weapon against actual liches." Closing the tome, Louise retrieved an empty sack from her cloak and stuffed the large book inside. "We'll go to the pope now, we can't remain here much longer anyways, and informing the pope of our findings before an inquisition is launched will make things go much easier anyways. Besides we planned for this, only we'll be in a bit better position than throwing ourselves before the Pope's mercy."

Montmorency nodded, smiling at the prospect of putting this whole mess behind them. "Let's get going then." It took only a minute to replace the books they had retrieved and lay the librarians head down. No need for her to get a bump when the paralyzing draft wore off. Soon enough, the girls were transformed and looking out the upper library's window.

_"Familiar, can you hear me? I need you to distract the guard on the other side of the building."_ Louise nearly worried they were out of range when nothing happened at first. But sure enough a bush began rustling and the guard left to investigate. That Kyuubey really needed to learn to either move faster, or to reply properly.

One jump later left Louise and Montmorency away and clear from the paladin headquarters. Safely within a side street, the two girls waited. Soon enough a small white shape appeared around the corner. "How did it go?" The Kyuubey asked. "On to plan B?"

"Not exactly," Louise replied, "We are going to the pope, but we have a slightly better plan than to beg sanctuary." The three made their way down the alleyways toward where the pope's estate was sure to be.

The next infiltration could only be harder. While the paladins were mainly tasked with fighting undead, they didn't have to worry about intruders. The pope on the other hand was sure to have tighter security. Luckily, it seemed magic sensors didn't detect them, so they would be able to exploit their powers. The Pope's mansion itself turned out to be far more beautiful than the paladin's building. A fine iron gate surrounded the estate, enclosing intricate gardens and masterwork statues. The pope's balcony could be seen in the center, overlooking the grounds and the city at large.

"You know what to do familiar." Louise commanded once again. The small Kyuubey dashed off and jumped between the iron bars. Its invisibility was quite impressive really, not a guard noticed the creature run right through the garden and up to the main door. One head-butt later left the Kyuubey shaking its head to relieve the pain. Sure enough, the head-butt proved useful as the door swung wide, a curious guard looking out. Louise saw her familiar disappear into the mansion and settled down to wait. Minutes slowly passed the two girls as they waited in the alley.

Yet, sure enough, a white form appeared before them. "The man you seek is in some sort of office on the third floor. It's the second window from the right."

Louise clicked her tongue, she had hopped the Pope would not be on the front side of the building. That meant they would have to go in on the side and go through a hallway, the front was just too exposed. Still, they had managed with the simple plan at the paladin headquarters, it should work fine here as well.

Soon enough, the girls waited near the fence on the east side of the estate as the Kyuubey went about shaking a bush. Even though there were multiple guards on the grounds, they all fell prey to the distraction. As soon as the bush shook, all eyes were drawn downward, no one noticing the two girls soaring over them and entering the third story window. Louise left the window open and waited. While it was risky to allow her familiar to climb up to them, she would need it when she presented her case to the pope. Trying to convince the man that she had an invisible familiar that removed her soul would sound a tiny bit crazy if she couldn't present it. When her familiar jumped through the window, Louise closed it as quickly and silently as possible. "You weren't heard?" She knew her familiar was silent, but climbing up the stonework of the mansion was bound to be a little noisy.

"Of course not. Now come on, it's this way." Louise silently thanked Brimir her familiar's cooperation. More and more she was beginning to realize that the Kyuubey was always trying to be helpful, it just didn't understand humans. It was more her fault for assuming it understood simply because it could talk.

Louise and Montmorency followed the Kyuubey down the hallway. It was luckily sparse of anyone, as it was well past midnight. After a short and silent hustle, they came before an open door. "Tell me Tomas, with Gallia's void mage uncooperative and our information on Tristain's completely wrong, you think now is a good time to start a lich hunt?" The mention of Cardinal Tomas' name stopped Louise dead in her tracks. The two girls nearly toppled trying to stop silently. Fear racing through them, the two girls pressed themselves to the wall.

Montmorency began inching away, only for Louise to grab her sleeve. _"We need to hear this."_ She sent across the mental channel set up by Kyuubey. A pained look splayed across Montmorency's face, but she conceded, allowing Louise to drag her toward the door, inch my inch.

The cardinal's deep voice sounded from the room. "Your eminence, with respect, we have narrowed our search for Albion's Void mage to the Saxe-Gotha region. It would take little resources to launch an inquisition, and it is our duty as followers of Brimir to do so." Void mages? Louise nearly squeaked in surprise. They were talking about the long lost element of void as if it had returned.

A sigh sounded from within, Louise could only assume it was the Pope. "Tomas, I have always admired your piety, but launching an inquisition based on a hunch? We both know your blood sense isn't perfect. Beyond that, we have an actual crisis to deal with. The Void mages _must_ be gathered. Otherwise, need I remind you, Helgenkia will be in dire straits. The elves-"

"Who's that!"

Louise's adrenalin spiked. Whipping around, she locked eyes with a guard at the end of the hallway. How had she been so stupid? To wait out in the open. Heavy footfalls sounded form the office. On instinct, Louise grabbed her familiar and jumped backward with Montmorency. The reflex put some space between them and the Cardinal, but it trapped them between the beast of an ex-paladin and the new guard. "You!" The cardinal accused.

Thinking fast, Louise brought forward her sack. With no free hand, Louise was forced to stuff her familiar inside the sack to retrieve the book. "Listen, I have proof we are not liches!" Louise held the large tome before her. The cardinal only held his staff before him, yet made no move to leave the hallway. Louise glanced behind her, seeing the guard holding a sword before him, yet not moving.

"Tomas, what is going on?" Louise turned back toward the cardinal to see a smaller, elegant man exit the office. Those elegant white robes, that tall, jeweled hat. The fine apparel paled in comparison to the warm man before her. This was the pope, surely he would understand. "These are the liches you spoke of?"

It was when the Cardinal didn't reply that Louise realized the man was mumbling an incantation. "Detect undead!" Those two words struck Louise to her core. Immediately her soul gem began to shine from where it hung, clasping her mantle beneath the cloak she wore.

They had proof though! It wasn't supposed to work this way! Louise met the eyes of the pope, seeing realization flood into them, replacing the previous confusion. He opened his mouth and spoke three words. Three words that shattered her world.

"Tomas, kill them."

The tome slipped from Louise's fingers; she no longer had the strength to grip them. As if it were a signal, the Cardinal rocketed forward as soon as the book hit the floor. He was far faster than a man of his age should be capable of, yet Louise saw him move like molasses as time slowed to a crawl. He raised his staff, water forming around it to create an axe head. Even with the axe arcing toward her, Louise could only stand there, frozen in her stupor._ CLANG!_ The sound of metal on metal filled the hallway. Before Louise, Montmorency stood holding the rod of her hammer against the water axe of the cardinal. Yet, even with Montmorency's prodigious magically enhanced strength, she was faltering. Slowly, the Cardinal was pressing forward, causing Montmorency to give more and more ground.

_NO!_ Louise flew into action, calling her staff into life. Dark energy forming at its tip, Louise swung the spear before her. Not taken of guard, the Cardinal leaned backward, dodging the energy blade by inches. With the cardinal's weight off his axe, Montmorency pushed forward causing the man to step back. Again Louise lashed out, only to have her stab parried to the side. Yet before the cardinal could counter, Montmorency launched a strike at his side. The man could only jump backward to avoid it, giving the girls precious space.

"Intruders!" The guard behind sounded the alarm and almost immediately Louise heard the call repeated throughout the mansion.

They needed to leave. Right now. "Mon, the wall!" Not needing to be told twice, Montmorency swung with all her might. The massive hammer impacted the mansion's outer wall, sending mortar and brick flying. "Come on!" Louise called, leaping out the window and straddling her staff. It was time to fly or fall. Montmorency was right behind her, barely out pacing another swing from the cardinal. The girl landed on the back section of Louise's staff and looped her free arm around Louise's waist.

With knowledge born from her own soul, Louise willed her staff forward, willed _herself_ forward. Wafts of pink and black drifted from her orb as they rocketed upward and away. "Louise! Dodge!" Louise only trusted her friend and banked to the left. A gout of fire raced through where they had just been. Looking behind her, Louise spotted a pair of griffon knights below her in pursuit. They must be the aerial guard on duty, Louise realized. There was no time to wish she had planned out a proper escape however. Louise banked left and right, dodging gouts of flame, yet not shaking her pursuers. Louise continued to climb, unable to level out lest she be hit by the flames. "Louise, catch me." Montmorency whispered. All of a sudden, Louise felt much lighter and the pit in her stomach felt much heavier.

Montmorency fell and readying her hammer as the Griffons raced to meet her. Behind her, she heard Louise call out, yet there was no changing her course of action now. The lead Griffon knight leveled his wand toward Montmorency, yet the spell never left the man's lips. With a mighty swing, her massive hammer impacted his griffon's wing, sending him spiraling away and quickly switching to a spell of levitation. The second knight saw Montmorency impact the griffon and bounce from it toward him. Not to be struck down, he lashed out with fire to burn the girl before him. Montmorency's hammer expanded and steam met fire. The clash only lasted a second, and though Montmorency managed to deflect the fire, the rider used the cover to dodge her swing.

So Montmorency fell with a rider in hot pursuit. Gout after gout of flame raced toward her and each time steam met fire. Yet she remained unable to revert to normal and levitate herself as long as this man perused her. Grimacing Montmorency could only hope for rescue.

Her prayers were answered when a blur of pink and white raced by him. One second he was diving, the next his griffon's right wing was spiraling away and his beast was panicking. Louise paid no mind to free falling rider, instead she raced toward Montmorency. Hand grasped hand and Montmorency pulled herself back on. With a wrench, Louise tried to level out, curving closer and closer to the streets below. Dust flew into the air when Louise leveled out just above the stone streets, skimming along them for a brief moment before once again gaining altitude.

With one final burst of speed, Louise cleared the city limits and made for the mountains, leaving the holy city behind them.

* * *

><p>The two girls collapsed in a cave that night, barely keeping their piece of mind long enough to build a fire. "He just- He just said 'kill them'! He didn't even listen!" Louise cried. This was the Pope! He was supposed to be infinitely wise! Why didn't he see that they weren't evil! They were not liches!<p>

Montmorency sat across the fire, cradling her knees to her chest. Silent tears drifted down her face. "What do we do now Louise?" Montmorency whispered. Louise had no answer, no plan for this. An inquisition would be launched by the morning, their description spread across the land, labeled as heretics. If they so much as showed their faces in the holy city, they would be captured and burned at the stake. There was no way they could manage to get into the paladin library again, let alone long enough to research a cure. Gripping her knees tight to her chest, Montmorency filled in for Louise's silence. "We have no chance do we?" No response. "We would need a divine miracle from Brimir huh?"

Though it was meant as sarcasm, Louise perked up at the mention of Brimir. "Montmorency! You are a genius! We might not be out of luck yet!" Montmorency rubbed her tears, giving her friend a concerned look. Had Louise snapped? "Brimir offered to heal the ancient liches! Void magic is the magic of the soul! We just need to find a void mage to heal us!"

Montmorency still wasn't buying it, "Louise, the void has been lost for eons."

"No, don't you remember? The Pope was talking about a reemergence of Void mages, we just have to find one and convince them to help us!" Louise was practically ecstatic, not even bothering to wipe away her tears. "They even talked about one being near Saxe-Gotha! So we make our way to Albion..."

"And find the void mage." Montmorency finished, picking up on Louise's thoughts. "We... we can still do this."

Louise grasped her friend's hands. "We can still do this."

************************************************************

In the following days, word was spread across Helgenkia. Louise Valliere and Montmorency Montmorency were found guilty of heresy and order captured. This news spread like fire. Two prestigious nobles condemned to the stake? It wasn't long before every village tavern spoke of it. Even back at Tristain's academy of magic, the news was discussed in hushed whispers.

Kirche Zerbst clicked her tongue in distaste as she passed a pair of gossiping first years, catching only Louise's name, but it was enough. It was preposterous. Kirche could see Louise failing so hard she ended up a lich by pure accident, but that did not make her a heretic. The girl has to pious for her own good.

It was vexing to be sure, not knowing what was going on with Louise. Before, Kirche might have blown it off as something the Valliere had gotten herself into; not her problem. However, Louise had impressed her in that duel with Guiche. Now Kirche had a bit of respect for the explosive mage, something that made the whole situation all the more annoying.

Guiche himself had started to shape up after the duel, letting girls down easy and making small steps. However, news of Montmorency's heretic status had done the unthinkable. The lady killer Guiche was permanently in a sour mood; started snapping any girl who approached him.

With her company limited to a sour Guiche, a horde of students with only the latest news to speak of, and the silent Tabitha, Kirche found herself spending more time than was usual with her best friend. Sure, Tabitha wasn't much conversation, but if you listened and persevered the girl had good insight.

That afternoon Kirche found herself in front of Tabitha's door. Without a knock, she turned the knob and entered. Tabitha sat reading a letter, her window open and a bird disappearing into the distance. Only because of her extensive experience with Tabitha was Kirche able to read the distaste on Tabitha's barely changed expression. Kirche knew that look, it was that damned King of Gallia again. Sending Tabitha on another fool's errand in hopes that she'd end up dead. "What is it this time. They planning on sending you against the spirits themselves?" The redhead joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Lich hunt."

The words were spoken softly, but Kirche heard them all the same. So it had come to this... Kirche knew she could offer no condolences, no sympathy, nor any kind of advice to her friend. She could only choose to stand by the silent girl. "I'll come with."


	8. Chapter 8: Staying Human

So this is another two-parter that got squeezed into one. About 13k words, so settle in.

**Chapter 8: Staying Human**

Although the room was small, it was private and close. It was the best she could provide for her friend, and it would definitely help. Princess Henrietta told herself, still wishing there was more she could do for the woman before her. Looking down from where she sat, Henrietta watched the unconscious form of her most loyal subordinate take slow, weak breaths from beneath the mound of blankets.

Never had Henrietta doubted this woman's courage and skill. How could she? This was Agnes de Milan, captain of the musketeers. The woman had stubbornly risen from an orphaned commoner to the rank of Chevalier. Every challenge before this woman crumbled before her sheer grit. And yet here she lay, beset by infection and fever. "I'm sorry Agnes... If only I had realized. If only I had known..."

A weak cough drew Henrietta from herself loathing. With the ease that came from hours of practice, Henrietta dipped the cloth into the bucket of water and rung it out before carefully dabbing away Agnes' sweat. Though she couldn't hear it, Henrietta knew the maid outside was once again fidgeting in fright. For the Princess to tend to a lowly soldier? Outrageous to be sure, but the world had gone crazy anyway. What was one more slip of sanity?

Henrietta placed the cloth back on the lip of the bucket and briefly looked out the window toward the west, toward Albion. The thought of the floating isle of Albion used to fill Henrietta with longing and hope, yet now it brought only heart wrenching guilt and restrained anger.

For a long time now the country of Albion had been embroiled in a civil war. Nobles had banded together under the banner of the Reconquista and fought to dethrone their rightful ruler. When it had become obvious that a rebel victory was only a matter of time, Henrietta had been pledged to Germania's Emperor. A marriage like that would cement an alliance and protect both countries from a possible attack. Yet there had been one small problem. Henrietta's heart belonged to another. It belonged to the Prince of Albion, her dear Wales.

It was with a heavy heart that Henrietta had ordered Agnes to retrieve or destroy a love letter she had sent to Wales, the contents of which could break up the marriage between her and Germania's Emperor. Agnes had handpicked her best soldiers for the job. They were each professionals; each were exemplary soldiers. Yet Henrietta had worried; they were all commoners, magic-less. So, she had sought to protect them by assigning one she didn't fully know to the mission, one she believed she could trust. That one was Viscount Wardes, captain of the griffon knights and square class wind mage. Though she didn't know him personally, Wardes was the betrothed of her dear friend Louise, surely he could be trusted then. And that had been the greatest mistake of Henrietta's life.

The now ex-captain had waited until the letter had been retrieved to enact his own plan. He had struck Wales, Agnes, and all the musketeers down in cold blood. There had been no battle, no duel, only a brief moment of trust capitalized on. With letter in hand and no witnesses, the man had left the corpses to be lost under the bombardment of the advancing Reconquista artillery.

However, Agnes had somehow survived being run through by a blade of air. Through sheer grit the woman had forced herself up and proceeded to bind her wound. In what could only be an act of heroism, she had evaded rebel scouts and passed by the rebel army unnoticed. Then, still wounded, had commandeered a moored rebel sloop in the dead of night. Agnes had been found barely conscious by a patrolling dragon knight the next day. She had tied herself to the helm and maintained a heading directly toward the palace. With no place closer, the dragon knight had taken her aboard his dragon and flown her to the capital's garrison for healing.

When word of Agnes' condition had reached her, Henrietta rushed to her side. Like the dutiful soldier she was, Agnes remained conscious long enough to deliver her report and then passed out. Since then, her wound had festered and her fever had risen. Periodically she would wake with varying levels of lucidity. Each time, she would only try to report again, unsure if her previous reports were only dreams. Henrietta had called the royal family's personal healer to attend to Agnes' wounds, but no more could be done. Only time would tell if Agnes could pull through.

So there Henrietta sat, alone in the world. The love of her life murdered by a man she sent, her most trusted subordinate and protector dying directly because of her shortcomings, and her country soon to be without alliance now that the rebels had her letter. As if that alone was not enough, just when Henrietta had thought to send for Louise Valliere, her childhood friend whose unshakable loyalty was needed more than ever, a messenger from the pope himself arrives and declares Louise a heretic. Never before had Henrietta been so tempted to kill a messenger than when the man declared that Louise was to be burned at the stake for partaking of unholy magic and becoming a lich.

Henrietta clenched her hands together, repressing the urge to cry. Her oldest friend was being hunted by the church and all she could do to help was decline to hunt her. Helgenkia was large, and finding one girl on the run was impossible for the few agents Henrietta had left that she could trust with a heretical mission of helping a lich. _Agnes could do it,_Henrietta thought grimly.

Another cough from Agnes signaled Henrietta. Working silently, she tended to Agnes. With all the power of a nation at her fingertips, Henrietta could do nothing to help her dead lover, her dying protector, or her lost friend. All she could do was dab away a little more sweat.

* * *

><p>The coin purse jingled pitifully as Louise retrieved it from her cloak and opened it. "We have enough for <em>maybe<em>one ticket, and that is without spending any more on food." Louise was starting to regret leaving their things behind in Romalia. Sure, their wagon was stabled right outside the city, but it also had all their traveling clothing and food. Neither Montmorency or Louise had any experience hunting, so they had gotten by with what little ecu that Louise had brought with them. That and any berries they could forage.

Berries, that was the _one_ benefit to traveling off road. Louise knew enough to keep a proper heading from her years of riding, but traveling through forests and hills was a lot less fun when you didn't have a mansion to ride home to at the end of the day, _and_ had to walk rather than ride, _and_hadn't bathed in a week. The two girls had agreed that using the roads was too risky now that an inquisition was underway. Fliers had been sent out to every major village with their description, it was just too likely to get recognized by a passing merchant. Even when they went to buy food they were quick and discreet; traveling hard as soon as they were done.

Buying a horse had been out of the question, it would have cost everything they had for a barely passable horse. Flying was also turned down. It was too visible from too far around, not to mention the fact that Louise didn't want to overextend her willpower. She had heard of mages casting too many or too powerful spells and losing their magic for a time while their willpower regenerated. Louise shuddered when she thought of that happening midair.

So the two had walked across the countryside; sticking to forests and valleys with one eye on the skies. Twice they had spotted a dragon. Both times they huddled beneath their earthen cloaks. Dragon sight was incredibly good, but not even dragons could distinguish an unmoving blob of green on a green plain.

One hand on her chin, Louise pondered their situation. Traveling so far had been unpleasant, but also unhindered all the way through Romalia and Gallia. Besides, even if they had taken the roads, the food money saved would not have been enough for another airship ticket. That meant they had two options. They could try to get more money somehow or try flying on Louise's staff. The latter was dangerous; as Louie wasn't sure she could even find the island in the clouds before her willpower ran out, let alone manage to fly that high. The former was almost as unlikely. Getting a job would be far too dangerous and Louise couldn't bear the thought of stooping to theft. "Heh heh, I got it covered." Montmorency's confident giggle snapped Louise from her thoughts.

A broad smile was plastered across Montmorency's face. Louise could only raise an eyebrow in question. "Not to be sour Mon, but do tell. What are you so happy about?"

Digging into her cloak, Montmorency produced a parchment. "You think too much Louise. Sometimes you have to go with the obvious answer." With a flourish, Montmorency unraveled the parchment. "Treasure hunting!" Just as Montmorency said, a shoddily drawn map and directions were scribbled onto the worn out paper.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Louise sighed, "Blockhead... How much did that cost?"

Looking away, Montmorency suddenly refused to make eye contact. "Well... Not enough for a ticket." The vein on Louise's forehead pulsed. "You said it yourself, we need more money." Montmorency quickly continued to keep Louise's temper in check. "We can't work, we won't steal. That leaves treasure hunting. Besides, this is on the way to the port." Montmorency pointed at the map, showing a badly drawn mountain labeled Port La Rochelle.

"You do know this is probably a scam right?" Louise deflated at Montmorency's insistence. It was like dealing with a child.

Puffing out her chest, Montmorency retorted. "I'm no fool Louise. I have even heard of this artifact before. It is called the Dragon's Raiment." She once again pointed to the map in emphasis. "It is a magical artifact that is supposed to grant flight to its user. So we could sell it, _or_use it to get to Albion. That's double the chances."

Once again, Louise found herself pinching the bridge of her nose. "Blockhead... We still have the same chances. If it is there, we get what we need; if not, we don't." Louise looked over her hand at the map. "Still, you have a point... So we'll try."

Louise could only relent under Montmorency's booming smile. Things had been getting worse and worse recently. A little harmless fun was okay now and again.

* * *

><p>"Harmless fun... sure." Louise grumbled to herself as she climbed over yet another boulder. The small ball of flame emanating from her wand was her sole source of light in the dark cave. The two girls had followed the treasure map through a forest to a hidden cave. Then, as the sole fire user of the group, Louise had been forced to take the lead. For what seemed like an hour they meandered through the twisting cave, following the unclear directions of the map. Twice they passed that same stalagmite, Louise was sure.<p>

As irrational as it was, Louise wanted to blame the Kyuubey for their lost state. The silent animal just plodded along behind them, never speaking unless spoken to. Several times, Louise caught it staring at her, yet it didn't have the sense to turn away. The creature really had no tact.

Even Montmorency was starting to lose her vigor. She no longer urged Louise onward with hopes of riches. The thought that there was some treasure trove deep in a cave this close to a farming village was silly, Louise thought. Surely someone from the village would have wandered up here long ago.

Still, Louise didn't want to give up now. Not after spending so long searching through this cave. Grumbling as she was, Louise didn't pay attention on her way over the boulder. Her foothold was slimier than she expected, causing her to slip when she put her weight on it. Gasping, Louise reeled and dropped her wand. Mid fall, a hand grabbed hers and Louise steadied. "Caught you." Montmorency sighed.

Louise mumbled her thanks, embarrassed as she was. Now, how would they find the wand in the dark? The, as Louise's eyes adjusted, she caught a glimmer in the distance. "Montmorency, light!" Louise exclaimed and pointed toward the far off light.

The two girls giggled with new found excitement. In the dimly lit tunnel, Louise was able to make out her wand. Deciding to pocket it, Louise made her way to the light unaided by her wand. With each step, the tunnel became brighter and brighter. Soon enough, the two girls were shielding their eyes from the bright rays of the sun. Slowly, their eyes adjusted. Before them lay a valley of trees surrounded on all sides by a sheer cliff. This was definitely looking more like where treasure would be, Louise silently conceded.

With much more glee than they had in the caves, the girls made their way to the center of the valley. Navigating through a forest was far easier than a cave, and they had far more practice at it as of late. Sure enough, Louise could make out a building through the tree line when they drew close to the valley center. With a slight hop to their step, the girls rushed toward the building. Both silently thinking of the wonders that awaited them.

The two broke the tree line at the same time. In unison, they slowed to a stop before the massive wooden building before them. Vegetation had taken over the building's walls, climbing up and over the roof. The windows were molded over and foggy. Yet as Louise's eyes trailed over the building, her breath hitched. One of the massive doors that led into the building was slightly ajar. Had someone been here before them?

"Miss Valliere?"

Louise's heart nearly stopped at the sound of a new voice. Turning to her right, a single woman dressed in common clothing was standing there holding a basket. Mind racing, Louise managed to recognize her as one of the maids from the school. That ink black hair had always stood out. Why... what was this girl doing all the way here. "Miss Valliere! It really is you!" Louise's hand found her wand in her pocket. Getting recognized like this. How could she have such bad luck? Montmorency took a step back, obviously realizing just what Louise was thinking. The maid was running toward them. Did she mean to kill them? To capture them? This was just a commoner, silencing her wouldn't be hard. Yet, Louise could not raise her wand. Was it fear? Was it morality? Louise didn't know.

Two hands grasped Louise's free hand. "Miss Valliere." The maid said, bringing Louise's hand up to her chest. Louise took a half step back in surprise. What was this? "Thank you."

_What?_Louise was flabbergasted. "Um... You're welcome?" She managed to get out. Realizing the oddity of her actions, the maid blushed and bowed, apologizing profusely. Louise could only share and confused look with Montmorency as she tried to quiet the bowing maid.

"Miss Siesta?" Once again a new voice joined them, though this one didn't cause Louise to jump quite as much.

It helped that she recognized it. Sure enough, stepping out of the old building was a face she remembered from many a lecture. Bald head shinning in the sun, Professor Colbert stopped as soon as he recognized Louise and Montmorency. "By the founder." He mumbled in surprise. Yet, before Louise could consider running again, the man smiled. It was that warm, welcoming smile he always used to comfort her when she failed at yet another spell. "We have company then? Why don't you join us? Siesta and I were just sitting down for an early supper." Montmorency and Louise locked eyes, searching each other for a moment. "Siesta makes a fine stew." The professor supplied.

Warm food. Staying for supper wouldn't hurt, they both decided.

* * *

><p>The professor had not been joking when he said Siesta made a fine stew. It may have been the fact that she had not eaten a hot meal in a week, but Louise swore she never tasted better food than the stew before her. Greedily, she scooped another potato chunk into her mouth. Neither she nor Montmorency spoke much, too busy eating the delicious food. Not that it bothered the Professor, he was content to ramble on and on about the strange object in the building. With the door wide open, Louise could see the odd artifact. According to Siesta, it was the Dragon's Raiment. It looked somewhat like a dragon, Louise conceded. There were obviously two wings, but it had tiny legs with wheels on the end of them. It also looked to have its nose pierced, odd as that sounded.<p>

"It's quite fascinating really. The wings are rigged, designed to only soar. And the rider's room on the top, that is obviously meant for a person, it has controls and an odd helm. Oh! And the nose it spins! I wonder, what would happen if it spun fast enough? The blades are curved, but why?"

Siesta shot Louise an apologetic look. The professor's stew remained untouched ever since Louise had asked what he was doing this far from the academy. Apparently he had come here to find the Dragon's Raiment out of curiosity, and found something far more interesting than a magic artifact. The only magic on the thing was stasis magic apparently, to prevent aging. How something could fly without magic, Louise had no idea, but the professor seemed positive that was the purpose it. The idea of machines doing things like flying? That was definitely something Professor Colbert would study, the man was weird like that.

He was not the only weird one of the group. Louise knew the Kyuubey ate only very small amounts, but it had completely forgone the meal to inspect the Dragon's Raiment. It was a curious thing to be sure, but the white creature had not stopped climbing all over it for some time. Now it just sat on the nose, looking back at the main body. Louise briefly wondered if she should stop it, but decided against it. The little bout of curiosity kept it familiar out of her hair anyways.

With a light cough, Siesta interrupted the rambling professor. "Mister Colbert, your food is getting cold. Won't you eat?" Colbert realized he had started to repeat his ideas once again and laughed nervously. Picking up his bowl, he began to eat. For the rest of the meal, the group ate in silence, but it was a calm, safe silence.

* * *

><p>The sun was already setting when the four finished eating and cleaning up. With winter fast approaching, the days were growing shorter. "Ah, not to offend, but you two look like you could use a bath. We have a washroom with a tub. I could heat some water for you if you wish."<p>

"That's alright professor, I can heat it myself." Louise replied, eliciting a worried look from her professor. "No really!" Louise protested, raising her wand in proof. With a small chant, a tiny ember of flame spouted from the top. "My magic is fixed."

Colbert adjusted his glasses, not quite believing what he was seeing. After a moment of thought, he smiled broadly. "I knew you would do well Miss Valliere. I'm so proud of you."

Louise could only blush in embarrassment, "It's not that big a deal." Looking back at the proud smile of her professor. Louise blushed again and turned away. "S-siesta, why don't you show me the tub. I'll heat it." With that, Louise retreated with Siesta in tow, still hiding her embarrassed blush.

Colbert went back to stacking up the remaining dishes, only to stop after a moment. Turning back, he found Montmorency still there, not having followed Siesta and Louise. "Miss Montmorency, I'm sure the other girls could use your help filling the tub. You are a water mage correct?"

Montmorency ignored the warm smile adorning the face her old professor. "Why should we trust you?" So strong was the accusation in Montmorency's voice that it froze Colbert for a moment, causing his smile to falter. "I know you are just pretending to know nothing, but I'm no fool. There is no way you wouldn't have heard of the inquisition." Her voice grew as she became more and more heated. "Louise may want to trust you because you always coddled her, but not me." She took a step forward, "Why would you help us? Aren't we liches? Why haven't you killed us! Have you called for the church and are just stalling!" Breathing deeply, Montmorency tried to recover her lost breath.

Colbert tried and failed to smile again. Instead, he just lowered his eyes to the bowls in his hands. "Liches... I don't really know what to think about that Miss Montmorency." Silence filled the night air. Montmorency continued to breathe, waiting for Colbert to find his words. "When I saw you two though... I knew right away. Before liches, before anything, you two are my precious students." The man found his strength and raised his head, once more a warm smile plastered across it. "I would never let harm come to my students, I promise you."

Much softer than her previous shouts, Montmorency shakily replied. "You promise?" Caution was etched into her nervous words.

Colbert only nodded in return and placed his hand upon her head. "I promise."

In lunge that nearly sent Colbert teetering, Montmorency latched onto him and buried her face in his chest. Words spilled out of her, but they were unintelligible through his chest and her sobs. Slowly, Colbert placed his arms around the sobbing girl. With one hand he rubbed her back and waited. Sobs diminished into snivels, which diminished into slight hitches in breath, and soon enough Montmorency had quieted. Slowly, she broke away. "Now," Professor Colbert began, "How about that bath?"

* * *

><p>"When the professor said you had a washroom, I assumed he meant a bucket and soap, not... this." Louise gestured before her. A tarp cordoned off a section of the massive building that housed the Dragon's Raiment. Behind the tarp was a massive basin, towels, even a sink. While none of it looked pretty, it was a fully functional washroom.<p>

Siesta nervously sighed. "That might be my fault. The professor asked to move the Raiment to his lab at the school, but after seeing it myself, I didn't want to lose that piece of my family's history. So I said he could study it, but not take it." She looked toward the artifact, sitting in the center of the building. With a smile, she rolled her eyes. "So he just says 'If I can't bring it to my lab, I'll bring my lab to it.' I thought he was joking, but next thing I know, he has brought a wagon load of supplies here and set up this little encampment."

Louise nearly snorted. The professor was either shirking his teaching duties or using his vacation time to study this artifact. She wasn't sure what was worse. "So then, that doesn't explain why you are here? Are you afraid of him taking the artifact?"

Raising her hands, Siesta shook her head enthusiastically. "Oh no, I don't mistrust Mister Colbert, he is nothing but a gentleman." Placing a hand on her chin, Siesta thought for a moment. "Well, when the professor first came to Tarbes searching for the Dragon's Raiment, he hired me to help him find it when he found out it was my great grandfather's treasure." Siesta moved toward the basin and leaned against it. "I had never seen it, though my father had and he insisted I go and see it for myself, that it was a family duty." The maid kicked her legs. "Then, when he moved in, he needed help with food and cleaning, so I just ended up staying around and helping. He even made it official and hired me, he pays me and everything... It's... nice."

With each word, Siesta's voice grew more and more wistful. Yet Louise didn't press her. Whatever had drawn the lively girl's mood down, she would speak of it if she wanted. Trying to brighten the mood, Louise approached the basin and checked the water. "Well, this water could use some changing. Let's get Montmorency to clean it and I'll heat it, then us girls can have bath."

Siesta looked toward Louise and brightened. "Okay."

* * *

><p>One quick 'Purify' spell from Montmorency and one underpowered 'Boil' spell from Louise had created quite the tub. The three girls sat soaking in the warm water, having already scrubbed each other clean. Louise had briefly thought of how it must look for two nobles to bathe with a commoner, but shooed the thought away. Two heretics and a commoner was a little better she supposed.<p>

It would be a completely relaxed silence if not for the soft clangs of metal and hushed whispers coming from beyond the curtain. Apparently Colbert had finished cleaning and gone back to tinkering with the Dragon's Raiment. "Does he usually mess with that thing this late?" Louise asked jokingly.

Siesta snickered, "He'll go on til the morning if I don't stop him."

The three girls snickered at the oblivious man's expense. "Well at least we know he's not sneaking a peek." Montmorency joked. "Can you imagine of Guiche was here? We would have to tie him to a tree before even trying this." Once again, giggles filled the makeshift washroom before it slowly descended into silence. "Siesta," Montmorency spoke up, "I've been meaning to ask you. When you saw Louise, you thanked her. What was that about?"

Louise perked up, remembering the incident. She had forgotten in the wake of Colbert's arrival. It had seemed pretty important, now that she thought about it. Siesta slowly descended into the hot water, hiding the blush on her face. Oh, this would be good. Giggling, Louise egged her on. "Come on Siesta, you have to tell me." The maid only blushed harder and looked away. "Or are you not thankful?" Louise teased.

Finally needing air, Siesta reemerged with a gasp. "It's not that Miss Louise, I'm just embarrassed. I was just thinking about how I'd never be able to thank you and you appeared, I was just so overcome that I acted so improperly." Victorious smirks greeted Siesta on both sides.

Finally she relented, knowing she wouldn't be free without telling her story. "Well, I guess it all started when I left the school." She began, remembering the events. Louise and Montmorency leaned in, sensing a good story. "See, I caught the eye of Count Mott when he came to visit the academy." Siesta's expression darkened. "I wish I could say it was my skills as a maid or my work ethic that inspired him to buy my contract, but that would be a lie."

It took a moment, but realization slowly filled the two listeners. Siesta was a beautiful woman. She was young and curvaceous, and her ink black hair was slightly exotic without being over the top. What was more, a commoner had no right to refuse if their contract was bought. Doing so would mean being blacklisted. That meant either allowing the count to have his way, or lose any chance at a job she had spent her life training in. A rage welled within Louise. A man who would abuse his power like that. That was no noble, just a dog. No, not even a dog. Those were the actions of slime.

Not wanting to say more than was necessary, Siesta continued. "I had resigned myself to my fate and started working in his mansion. When-" She stopped for a moment, collecting herself. "When he called me to his chambers to clean a spill. When I got there his room was clean." Once again she fell into silence, only the soft clangs from beyond the curtain could be heard. Siesta's eyes fell and her bangs hid her face. "And then..." She clenched her fist so tightly her knuckle when white. "And then he came to me, bringing me toward his bed." Holding the shaking fist to her chest, Siesta continued, "And I..."

Montmorency reached out a hand to comfort the girl. Then, just before she could place her hand on Siesta's shoulder. The maid stood up in one rushed snap, spraying water everywhere. "And I punched him right in that fat nose! Knocked the bastard clean out!" Righteous fury boiled off of the maid. Louise and Montmorency could only gawk from where they sat; both frozen in surprise. After a beat of silence, Siesta realized that even Colbert had frozen in the wake of her outburst. With a blush, she sat back down. "Of course I was fired, but I didn't regret it. Not one bit."

Louise was still stunned. It was an inspiring story, but not one she had any part in. Why was the maid thanking her? Siesta seemed to realize this and explained. "I was thinking, at that time. This is the way things are. I couldn't do anything about it, so why try?" Then Siesta grabbed Louise's hand again. "And then I remembered your duel with Mister Guiche. How even though everyone said you were a failure. Said that you couldn't rise above what you got in life, you still beat him down with the strength that you had." Drawing Louise's hand to her, Siesta pressed it to her heart. "You inspired me to fight. To persevere despite everything being against me. So thank you. Thank You Louise Valliere."

Only silence followed the heartfelt thanks. Louise couldn't think of words strong enough to accept Siesta's feelings. Yet, she didn't have to. The two girls locked eyes and knew.

"I GOT IT!" A cry from beyond the curtain broke the heavy air. Sending the girls into nervous, then cheerful giggles.

* * *

><p>Louise had not slept so well in a long time. Sure it was a mound of hay with a blanket over it shared with two other girls, but it was warm and safe. She woke to a sizzling sound and the smell of bacon. Extracting herself from the bed, Louise made sure not to wake the still sleeping Siesta and Montmorency.<p>

Siesta's curtained off 'room' was cozy, but finding the slat in the hanging tarp was hard without light. Yet, she managed to find the exit without incident. Morning light filtered thought the small opening in the large door of the building. Making her way over, Louise rubbed eyes. Blinking sleepily, she peeked out to see Colbert sitting next to a fire in the clearing. "Good morning, Miss Valliere. I may not be the cook Siesta is, but I'm quite confident in my bacon. Would you like some?"

With a smile, Louise sat down and took the plate offered her. Bacon, bread and fruit, a far cry better than what she had grown used to. Unlike yesterday, she did not have hunger to accentuate the taste of her meal, yet she was still sure this bacon was the best she had ever tasted. "Confident? Professor, I didn't take you for a cook." Louise complimented.

The older man smiled, proud of his work. "It's all in the wrist miss Valliere." He looked downward, toward the fire. It was then Louise realized that the fire was not flickering, but instead it was a steady, slow stream that crept up to the edges of the skillet. Intrigued, Louise looked to Colbert's free hand. In it, he held a wand. It was odd, remembering that the man who cared so much about machines was a fire mage. "I could teach you if you want."

There was no question. Louise had her wand in hand in only a moment. "Please!" She squeaked, containing her excitement. This would be her first time being taught magic. Well, taught while actually being able to follow along. Memorized cantrips and dot spells only went so far.

"Now, the first thing you should know about fire is that it is the release of energy. It is not destruction, not a weapon, not even something that consumes. If you go about directing fire like it is some kind of powerful lion as liable to attack you as your enemy, you'll start off learning with your first mistake." The professor stood up, letting the flames revert to their natural state. The man walked around and sat next to Louise. "Fire is like a snake. It slithers along the ground, taking the easiest path. When casting a spell of fire, you provide two things. Power and guidance. Most mages think they must force their fire along a path they want, but you only need to create that path and your fire will follow." Colbert gestured to the fire before them. "Power is provided here, you need only provide a channel for it. Think of creating a tube around it, guide it, don't force the fire."

Louise as somewhat surprised. She expected spells and incantations, not an odd lecture, but this was Professor Colbert. He seemed to know what he was talking about. "Rin." Muttering the basic fire manipulation spell, Louise reached out with her magic and gripped the fire before her. No, she stopped herself. Create a tube. With that in mind, she moved her magic around the fire, creating that tube and leading it to the skillet above. Sure enough, it began to resemble the strange stream that Colbert had been creating. Then, as soon as she finished, the fire extinguished in a flash. With a jump of fright, Louise squeaked. "Professor, I'm sorry. I failed." The words left her lips with practiced ease before Louise even realized she said them.

Colbert only chuckled. "Nope, you were perfect. I'd call you a prodigy if this was your first day trying fire manipulation." The man only chuckled more at Louise's confused look. "Fire needs air to survive, and when you finished the tube connecting the ground to the skillet, you created and airtight cylinder. It took only a moment for the fire to eat all the air." With a flourish, Colbert once again set the logs ablaze. "All fire spells incorporate Rin, fire manipulation, into them. If you remember this concept of creating a tube, your spells will be much stronger and easier to control." Louise nodded in understanding. "Now, how about you practice a little more while I wake everyone else?"

* * *

><p>The day proceeded smoothly. Louise practiced her fire magic under the watchful eye of Professor Colbert and Montmorency went foraging for herbs with Siesta. It was peaceful in the hidden valley. All their worries beyond the cliff side were easily forgotten. Yet Louise knew it could not last. They needed to journey to Albion. They needed to find the void mage before the church. Though she hid her thoughts of leaving, Colbert soon found her out. It was at that night's supper that he spoke. "You girls are welcome to stay here as long as you need. No one is going to come knocking on one of my research sites. Even if they did, there are a million hiding places within this valley."<p>

While the man never mentioned their current status as liches, his worry was evident. He knew just what awaited them if they were caught. Still, Louise had to turn him down. "We have a lead on a way to heal ourselves." The man's eyes brightened in surprise.

Louise looked to Montmorency and shared a moment of acknowledgement. Montmorency continued. "We have to try. Even if it is a long shot."

Colbert looked down toward his soup. "Yes, I understand. You girls aren't the type to give up." Supper passed in silence after that. Neither of their hosts asked when they would leave, and Louise was thankful for it.

Later that night Louise watched Colbert going over the Dragon's Raiment. Rather than his usual pocking and prodding, he was just running a hand along it; taking in the view. That was the final bit of proof Louise needed. Turning, she made her way toward Siesta's room. Inside, she found only Montmorency. The maid was busy with cleaning luckily. "We'll be leaving tomorrow morning." Montmorency spoke for her.

Louise nodded, "I saw Professor Colbert packing a bag earlier. He means to come with us."

The brief silence was broken by Montmorency. "Is that so bad?" She weakly asked. Having a reliable man like Professor Colbert around would be good. Louise paused, also wanting to allow the man to come with. Montmorency looked down and fiddled with the ring on her finger. Her soul gem. It looked dimmer in this light. Smiling weakly, Montmorency tried to shake the despair that clung to her. "No, you're right. We won't let our families shelter us, but we would let Professor Colbert throw away his life for us? I guess we can't do that."

Neither girl spoke, slowly resigning themselves to what they had to do. They were nobles after all. They would hold their heads high and face their own problems. "Besides, he is just a teacher right? He'd probably just slow us down." Louise joked, drawing a pained laugh from Montmorency. "We should get some sleep. We'll need our strength for tomorrow."

* * *

><p>The two girls left but a single note pinned to the buildings door. What small measure of gratitude they could put to writing sat upon the old note. Their sack was filled with what food they could carry from the Professor's stock. He would not mind, they both knew. The sun had not yet even begun to rise when they entered the cave. With Louise at the front, guiding their way with controlled stream of fire, they left the safe valley and ventured toward the world beyond.<p>

While much faster than the way in, it still took some time to navigate through the cave, and by the time they exited the sun had just finished rising. With heavy hearts the two girls made their way through the forest. The plan was to go to La Rochelle and see what they could do with one ticket's worth of money. Either find work aboard a ship or stow away, either would have to do.

Both girls went back to watching the skies when they exited the forest. Tarbes, Siesta's home village, sat next to the forest not too far to the south. Trying to find money in a farming village like that wouldn't be easy, even if they were all a friendly as Siesta was. So they had decided to bypass it to avoid being noticed.

Though no dragons could be seen flying overhead, the shapes of airships could be seen in the distance soaring over La Rochelle. Their goal was to get aboard one of those. Louise watched a large galleon drift along. She recognized it as a military vessel. One of Tristain's by the design. Maybe she should just requisition one as a noble? Louise smirked at her own joke.

The small smirk shattered into a horrific look of fear when the galleon erupted into black smoke. It was soon followed by others. As more and more of the ships in the distance erupted into smoke, the sound finally reached the two frozen girls. The thundering of cannons sounded out of sync with the exploding ships. What was going on? Both girls could only wonder. The ships that hadn't sunk began to turn and retreat. By the look of their formation, the fleeing ships were working together. Louise racked her brain. By their design, they were most likely Albion. But why? Why would they attack Tristain? Montmorency supplied the answer Louise had been searching for. "The rebels..." She whispered.

The realization hit Louise like a ton of bricks. She had known of the civil war in Albion, but if this was happening, that meant the rebels had won and set their sights on Tristain. If that was so, why were they heading this way? Once again Louise worked to piece what she was seeing together. "Food." Louise spoke in realization, "They took out the local air defense, but landing in a hostile port is impossible. They mean to create a foothold with Tarbes."

Montmorency tore her eyes away from the advancing ships and looked toward the farming village. The village was beginning to come to life. Early risers could be seen gawking toward the port town. Those with sharper wits were already sounding the alarm. Louise continued, "By taking a farming village and maintaining air superiority, they'll be able to field a large army. Then they take the port from the sky and land. If they do that, they'll have a perfect supply line and fortress." Louise had begun to ramble, "Best case scenario they take everything that isn't bolted down from Tarbes to La Rochelle. Most likely, they raze it."

While no expert, Louise had learned that studying military tactics had made both her parents proud, despite it not being a woman's course. Hours of reading flooded back to her. "With a proper supply line, the Albion navy easily outclasses our own. Soon enough they'll divide our cities and take them one by one." It was the perfect move. La Rochelle had more wind stones than Tristain knew what to do with. With a port like that at their control, the Albion Navy wouldn't have to return to resupply.

Next to her, Montmorency gaped, still trying to comprehend what her friend was saying. "What are you saying Louise?"

With a snap, Louise turned and looked upon her friend with horror. "If the rebels take Tarbes, they'll conquer Tristain within the year."

"You can't know that." Montmorency protested. Not wanting to believe that war was on their doorstep.

With what will she had, Louise forced her emotions down, trying to think rationally. "You are right. But even if I'm wrong; they take Tarbes and they'll be able to land their army fully supplied. Even if we hold the port, it'll mean a full army on army battle. Our rookies versus their veterans of a long civil war."

Slowly, it began to dawn on Montmorency what her friend was implying. "You keep saying _if_."

"Yes. If." Louise replied.

She couldn't contain it any longer; Montmorency began to laugh. Louise paid no mind to the hint of madness in her friend's laughter. When the guffaws subsided, Montmorency wiped away a tear. "Louise, you are the craziest person I have ever met."

"Listen-" Louise began.

"Don't!" Montmorency stopped her friend with a hard look. Previous laughter gone, Montmorency continued. "Don't tell me I don't have to help. I couldn't take it Louise." In a flash of light, Montmorency's soul gem appeared in her hand. "It would be easy. Saying I don't like fighting. Saying I am too weak. Once, that would have been true... But now... But now I have the power to do something."

Louise had seen it before, but the explosion of golden light still took her breath away. Wafts of golden light trailed along and formed Montmorency's hammer, and with a flourish she spun the great weapon around and planted the pommel on the ground. "I can't really grasp our country being in peril. I also don't really believe I could do anything to stop something as big as that. But!" Montmorency pointed toward Tarbes. "That is Siesta's home right? If we don't stop those ships, her home will be destroyed right? Well that's something I can get my head around." Turning back to Louise, Montmorency held up her hand. "Despite knowing what we were, she took us in without a second thought. She didn't even know me. I can return that favor. That is something I can do."

Retrieving her own Soul Gem, Louise nodded, and with an explosion of pink, joined her friend. With burst of strength, she too planted her pommel upon the earth. "You're right this time blockhead. I guess that's all the reason we need." The morning breeze kicked up Louise's mantel and ruffled Montmorency's clothing. "We'll be hopelessly outnumbered." Louise cautioned.

"I know."

The ships drew ever closer. Louise spoke again, "We could die."

"I know."

Once again, Louise warned. "We might miss our chance at becoming human again."

A snicker followed her words. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to scare yourself off, not me." Montmorency grinned before turning away from the approaching ships and met Louise's gaze. "If we run now, would we really be closer to being human? To abandon our nation and countrymen to save ourselves? What would we be then? Not human, I can tell you that much."

With a solemn nod, Louise agreed. "It should make for an interesting story at least. Two liches make a stand against an entire armada? In any story we would have to win, just to prove how dangerous we are."

Montmorency giggled. "You know that is just so the hero is all the more awesome when he kills us right?"

Louise giggled with her friend for a moment, enjoying the laughter as it died out. Then, with barely a whisper, she replied.

"I know."

* * *

><p>Francis had never thought himself leader. Yet he had somehow always ended up in such a role. As a child, his size and cheer had drawn his peers to him. As an adult, it worked much the same way. People asked him for advice and for help, and he couldn't just turn them away. It seemed natural when he had been chosen as the village leader. Sure he still managed his plot of land, but he also ended up meeting with the lord of Tarbes to deliver reports and settle disputes within the villagers. Yet now, with a fleet of ships approaching, he wished he had never accepted the role. People were panicking all around him and nothing he said would calm them. He had to get them into the forest, but it was only a matter of time before the panic erupted into a full blown stampede. People would get hurt, children would be lost. "Drake!" He called to a man busy trying to drag an unmoving mule burdened by hastily packed sacks. "Leave it, you'll never make it towing that stubborn thing!"<p>

Only foul words filled with hate were returned. This was the same Drake that sang off-color songs with him in the tavern. Fear had turned him hostile. Yet what could Francis do? He was but one man.

"People of Tarbes!" The voice of a young girl sounded from above. So loud and so odd was it that Francis could not help but look up. There, hovering above his village was a pair of girls. They straddled an odd staff and wore strange, beautiful clothing. One wore a mantel, a mage then. Vaguely, Francis realized the other villagers had stopped to look at the odd sight. Seeing as she had their attention, the girl with the mantle descended, dropping the two of them before Francis. They barely came up to his chest, but their commanding air bid him listen. "Are you the leader of this village?" The mantled one asked. Francis nodded, still too perplexed to speak. With a nod, the girl handed him a piece of parchment. "This is a map to a cave in that forest. Follow it through to a secluded valley beyond." Francis remembered hearing about that. One of the families of his village claimed they stored a treasure there. "Siesta is there with a man named Colbert. They'll be able to shelter you, for a time at least."

Whispers broke out among the villagers. Everyone knew Siesta was out helping a professor, going to where they were was a good idea. More and more whispers of agreement flitted through the gathering villagers. Seeing her work was done, the mantled mage turned to the approaching ships. "We'll see what we can do about those. You just focus on evacuating."

That fatherly piece of Francis awoke within him. Surely these girls weren't planning on taking an armada head on? "Bu-"

"Montmorency, let's go." The noble before Francis spoke, ignoring his protest. Once again straddling the staff, the mage began to hover. With a nod, the silent blonde jumped aboard. A flash of pink and a cloud of dust signaled their exit. The two girls rocketed off into the sky.

Murmurs of awe fitted through the crowd. Yet, Francis knew he had no time to waste. Turning to the villagers, he let out his greatest booming yell, "You heard the lady! Get only what you need! We make for the woods in five minutes! Elderly and children to me! Drake! Help me move them out!"

People froze not sure whether or not to agree. Then, in a blessing from Brimir, Drake responded. "Right! I'll take the front. Let's go!"

Ordered and no longer panicking, the villagers assembled quickly. With the men surrounding the edges, the group made their way into the woods. Though confused, the children of the village were all accounted for. Francis shuddered to think what he would have done if a child had been left behind. His own daughter held his hand. She was barely three, so she didn't understand what was happening. "Daddy?" She asked up at him. "Where are the poster girls going?"

Poster girls? Francis looked down to his daughter, trying to discern what she was saying. The only posters they had in the village were of... Francis' head snapped back toward his village, toward the skies beyond. The two girls that had stopped to help them. The two girls that had flown off to buy them time. Those were the two girls whose faced adorned the wanted posters distributed by the church.

Heretics? Liches? Francis immediately knew they were no such thing. Those two were no liches, they were shining examples of all that was good. "They are going on a trip." Francis lied to his daughter.

"Have a safe trip!" His daughter waved to the fading speck of the girls.

Yes, Francis silently hoped. "Be safe."

* * *

><p>Wind ripped through the girls' hair as they approached the armada. They had been spotted, that much was sure. The sloops were already maneuvering to cover the larger ships from boarding and dragon knights had taken to the skies. Louise called back to Montmorency. "Remember! Disable the mast, then move on! We only have to keep them dead in the air!" She had to scream to be heard of the howling wind. Briefly, Louise regretted leaving her familiar behind, but there was no way she could watch it during the fight.<p>

Montmorency's strained voice sounded in her ear. "You just keep those Dragons off me! I'll deal with the ships!" Louise felt a weight shift behind her, once glance told her what she needed to know. With one hand on Louise's shoulder for stability, Montmorency had planted her feet and stood crouched upon the staff. She had drawn her goggles down and looked forward, ready for what was to come. "Louise!" She warned.

Turning back, Louise saw the ships turning broadside. Odd, they were far outside the range of grapeshot. Barely even within range of standard shot. Surely the armada didn't think they could hit them with standard? Still, the sinking feeling in Louise's stomach said otherwise. In a split decision, she pulled hard and climbed rapidly. Just as she did, hundreds of cannons opened fire. A wall of metal passed below them, tearing through the air with an audible thrum. How in Brimir's name? Suddenly, the Albion's easy victory at the port made sense. Some kind of new, long range cannon would have assured victory in surprise attack.

Keeping a careful eye on the ships, Louise climbed high. Just to be safe, she would approach above their maximum angle. Yet they were far from safe. Now closing on the ships, the dragon knights moved to intercept them. Louise did not balk at twenty fire breathing beasts flying to meet her. She knew what she was getting into. At least, for this first engagement, she would have the altitude.

Closer and closer they flew, into Louise could see the smoke trailing from the dragons' nostrils. In unison, the great beasts opened their mouths and released twenty streams of fire. "Now!" Louise cried.

With a monstrous burst of strength, Montmorency jumped from her position. The sheer force of the action sent Louise strafing in the other direction. Both girls skimmed the outside of the wall of dragonfire. The heat was so intense, Louise feared her clothing would erupt into flames just from the proximity. Yet as quickly as it began, the heat ended.

Curving in, Louise crossed in front of the rising dragon knights. It was her job to draw them off. In front of her, Louise saw Montmorency smash into a dragon, her hammer expanding and crushing the great beast in one blow. The force of the blow redirected Montmorency toward her target. The highest sloop in the fleet. Sure that Montmorency would reach her target, Louise returned her attention to the now nineteen angry dragon knights.

Pulling up, Louise began to climb before them. All eyes on her, the knights pursued, releasing gouts of magical fire and wind to accompany their mount's dragon fire. Weaving back and forth, Louise darted around and between each stream. With a lurch she hurled sideways and dismounted. In one motion she swung her staff forward and released a pulse of dark energy. The bullet easily outpaced any stream of magic or dragon fire. Her target reacted quickly, throwing a blast of magically summoned fired at the dark sphere. Yet, it was useless. Unhindered, the dark energy pieced through the fired and impacted his dragon. Magic resistant scales or not, the beast was dead before it knew what hit it. Louise didn't care to check and see if the rider survived. There were eighteen more where that came from.

A wide blade of wind arced toward Louise. Rather than dodge, Louise summoned her energy into the familiar spearhead and met the magic blade with her own. There was a moment of resistance, then Louise was through. Two halves of a wind blade trailed behind her. Releasing her mental hold on the blade of energy, Louise let it fly toward yet another target. This time the dragon dodged, but not fast enough. The lip of the spear caught the dragon's wing and tore a hole through the leathery webbing. Another, out of the fight.

Louise swung her staff around and reseated herself upon it just in time to spiral out of the way of another wall to flame. This one was more spread out, keeping her from veering too harshly. Again a wall came, this time blocking her as she tried to swerve left. Instead she had to level out to avoid the fire. _They are taking the altitude from me._Louise realized. Yet even though she realized their plan, she was unable to counter. Before they had sought to erase her quickly, now they were working with practiced precision to drive her downwards. In a dragon fight, forcing the opponent to the ground assured victory.

There was just one problem with that strategy. "I'm not riding a dragon!" Louise roared defiance and flipped midair. A stream of dark energy erupted behind her, driving her back toward her pursuers. In an instant, she had reversed direction and was flying straight for their middle. Such a suicidal move stunned all but a few of the riders. Yet even the few that recovered soon enough launch attacks were too surprised to coordinate. Louise weaved between the streams as best she could, yet a blade of wind was hidden in the wake of a gout of dragonfire. The sharpened air grazed Louise's arm, spraying blood into the air behind her. Immediately, Louise shut out the pain and for a brief moment, she morbidly remembered the Kyuubey's words about pain.

As quickly as they came, Louise dismissed thoughts and willed more energy into life behind her. Dark blades of energy stuck out on either side of her orb like wings. Each was nearly two meters. Just like with the griffon in Romalia, Louise passed by the Dragons and clipped their wings. Two direct hits and a nick hard enough to take another from the fight.

The white and pink of Louise's mantel was stained red with her blood, yet Louise had no time to bind the bleeding wound, she could only hope it wasn't too deep. Now behind her adversaries, Louise made to drive them apart. If they formed up again, she doubted her trick would work twice. Sparing a look down, Louise spied the ships below slowly maneuvering in confusion. Several of the sloops' masts had fallen, Louise hopped that meant that Montmorency was faring better than she.

* * *

><p>On the deck of the sloop below, Montmorency fought her own battle. Deck hands, soldiers and even mages rushed to attack her. Twirling her hammer, He parried off two blades and stepped through the two sailors' guards. Planting the pommel, she pulled herself up and lashed out with her legs. Each man was flung away like a rag doll despite being twice her size. One impacted the mage who was still casting some spell. Wind most likely, Montmorency guessed. Still, this was no time to mess around. Darting toward the sloop's mast, Montmorency planted her feet and swung with all her might. The crack of hammer crunching through wood once again sounded over the confusion as her hammer was imbedded in the ship's mast.<p>

Out of the corner of her eye, Montmorency caught a flash of red. With no time to think, she abandoned her hammer and jumped backward, narrowly dodging a lance of superheated energy. Briefly, Montmorency recognized it as a triangle class fire spell. "Alright boys git er!" A sailor called out, encouraged by her weaponless state. At the man's call, a rabble of sailors charged Montmorency from all sides. Montmorency counted herself lucky, realizing that the sailors had placed themselves between her and the mage. Looking past the onrushing sailors, Montmorency could see the man looking for his opportunity.

A club arcing toward her head alerted Montmorency to the task at hand. Nimbly she sidestepped the blow and immediately stepped into his guard to dodge his friend's. Pivoting, she kicked his shin and swept his legs from beneath him. One more spin and her leg impacted his side and propelled him across the deck toward the mage, her real threat. Now aware of the possibilities human bullets, the mage managed to jump out of the way. Though Montmorency was sure she had interrupted his casting. Three more sailors joined the fray, joining her remaining opponent. Rather than play their game, Montmorency lightly hopped up to head level and lashed out yet again with her legs. Two of her opponents got a face full of magically summoned shoe, knocking them out cold. Yet, even as she took down two, the remaining two dove for her. Landing, she lashed out again and kicked one in the stomach, hurling him away. The last lashed out, only to hit nothing as Montmorency weaved away.

Only this time she impacted something hard. Hastily, Montmorency tried to step away, only for a massive hand to wrap around her arm."I got you." A rumbling voice spoke with triumph.

Somehow a beast of a man had gotten behind her. If the sailors were twice her size, this man was twice theirs. "No, I got you." Montmorency smirked and gripped his arm in return. With a massive pull, she wrenched the man off his feet and around in an arc. The improvised man club did his job of smacking away her remaining opponent and causing those about to join to back off. Releasing her grip, Montmorency let the man fly into the cabin wall. One more down.

Her ring of would be opponents had grown as more sailors piled out from below decks. Soon they would simply pile on top of her. Looking back toward the mast, Montmorency's face shifted to fear. The sailor before her took that as his cue. "Hah! Can't keep this up can you? I-" The man never finished his sentence. A great beam of fire erased him as it passed toward Montmorency. The resulting explosion of heat blinded those present.

Slowly, the sailors looked toward the smoldering pile of ash where the mysteriously strong girl had stood. Then slowly, their eyes trailed to the spot where their cremate had stood. Beyond, their captain stood panting. "Had to be done." He spoke to no one and everyone. "Sacrifices must be made for victory." Still, it was so brutal that the men could only murmur on fear.

"You asshole!" A shout came from above. The blonde girl they thought dead stood on the mast beam, glaring daggers at their captain. With one leap, she propelled herself toward him. The captain had not time to cast another spell, no time to even dodge. The girl flipped once and brought her heel down upon their captain. The earth shattering force of the blow drove the man through the deck. So frozen by the display of clearly devastating and lethal force, the sailors froze when the girl looked to them, turning her back on the hole she created. With a quick stride, she returned to the mast and withdrew her hammer in one lurch. "This will fall momentarily. Try not to get crushed."

With that warning, Montmorency jumped from the deck and soared toward her next target. This one was an old carrack, if memory served.

* * *

><p>Again Louise darted amongst her opponents. She had lost count at twelve left, something she chided herself for. While their speeds were similar to hers, Louise capitalized on her superior mobility. Darting in and around her targets, often using one as cover against the others.<p>

From the looks of things below, Montmorency was faring well. Over half the ships were lacking their main mast. A spark of hope bloomed within Louise against all her efforts to repress emotion. They might actually succeed! They might get through this!

A cone of fire once again jetted toward Louise, and once again she veered out of its path. One twirl later and she was in free fall, spraying small orbs of energy at her attacker. He dodged the first, then the second, but the third struck true. He might survive, but his dragon was in for a long, one winged fall.

Two more dragons veered toward Louise from either side. Knowing a crossfire when she saw one, Louise gripped her staff and pointed it upward. Releasing as much force as she dared, she lanced downward and escaped twin flames that passed through where she had just been. Not bothering to Remount, Louise let loose another volley. Her aim proved true as twin explosions of power knocked the dragons from the sky. Whirling, Louise remounted and leveled out, looking for her next target. Yet only clouds greeted her scanning eyes.

One scan, then a second. No matter where she looked, there were no dragons flying with her. Had she done it? Louise nearly laughed, but stopped to cough. The act caused more pain that Louise expected. Looking at herself, Louise counted numerous superficial nicks and burns. What really bothered her was the red splotch on her side. Now that she was paying attention to it. It _hurt_.

Whether it was luck or inborn instinct, Louise forced herself forward, barely dodging a blade of air. "You know, sometimes it's a good idea to let the enemy catch their breath, if only to catch them off guard. I applaud you for not falling for it." A dangerous, yet oddly familiar voice sounded from Louise's right. Hovering there was a wind dragon, Louise recognized the difference. They were faster and more mobile than their fire cousins, but lacked a breath attack. It must have been hiding in the clouds, she gathered. However, her mind froze when Louise spied its rider. In his usual feathered cap stood a man she had long known. "Viscount Wardes?" She asked, confused beyond all reason.

Recognition slowly filled Wardes' eyes. "Louise?" He asked, surprise evident. This man before her, though older than her he _was_promised to marry her. That prospect had never been something Louise had thought ill of. But now he sat before her, obviously a traitor to the crown.

She didn't know what to think, Louise could only scream out accusations. "You ally yourself with rebels! Wardes you turn traitor! You- you fiend!"

Her betrothed ignored her accusations and instead spoke only to himself. "So it did shift..." Louie could only writhe in anger at being ignored. The man looked up after apparently coming to a conclusion. "Ah, sorry Louise. If it helps, I really did find you quite fetching. But you'll have to die now."

The casual tone with which he spoke nearly stunned Louise long enough for his spell to finish her then and there. Nearly that is. No longer restraining her emotions Louise lanced away before veering back toward the wind dragon. Wardes had not let his chance go by, he gained the altitude and veered out of the way of a hastily flung energy bullet. Loosing a spell of his own, Louise was forced downward and away.

Though only one opponent, Wardes was in another league compared to her previous. His wind dragon out stripped Louise in speed, and Wardes refused to allow her to close the distance between them where her mobility would make a difference. Each time Louise veered to meet him, Wardes pushed her way with well-placed blades of air. Though nothing could hit her, Louise knew what he planned. Hemming her in like this, driving her down. He sought to put her in range of the ships' grape shot. Another blade of air nicked her as she once again had to dive downward.

Anger boiled inside Louise. This was the man who warmly encouraged her when she was sad? Was this the man who stood up to her overbearing mother? This was the man she shared her special hidden place with. That boat on the lake where she would go when everything was too hard? That place was known only to Cattleya and her. And yet she showed it to this- this demon because of his honeyed words! A furious roar split the air. Louise only vaguely recognized it as her own; too intent on revenge.

Thoughts of defense left Louise's mind as she veered upwards toward her prey. Only slightly perturbed, the ever calm Wardes let fly another blade of air. Louise knew she could either deflect the blade of air and fall again, or be split in two.

She chose neither.

It was so simple. Just call the energy below her and push downward. Bringing her staff up, Louise summoned the spearhead and swatted the blade of air away. Yet even as she did so, she did not begin to fall as Wardes predicted. Instead, she only rose faster, two twin orbs of nothingness hovering just above her shoulders and just below the soles of her feet. Utter blackness propelled out her forward, leaving fast disappearing trails in her wake.

Her scream of rage propelled Wardes into action. Pulling on the reigns of his dragon, he forced the beast forward and between him and Louise. The wind dragon let loose a pained cry as Louise's spear drove into its heart. The force of her blow threw it into a slow spin. Yet she held fast with one hand. Wardes held fast opposite her, knowing that levitating would mean his death.

Exacting her spear, Louise forced more energy into before one again stabbing the dead beast. With the ease of a hot knife through butter, Louise forced her spear through the dragon and out the other side. Only luck saved Wardes from the first strike. The blade of dark energy sprouted dangerously close to his head. Leaving a foot in a stirrup, Wardes gripped with his legs and flung himself upward, dodging the second blind strike by a hair.

Again Wardes dodged a stab, barely predicting where it would come from. Though from Louise's frenzied cries, he doubted she was planning too much. Then, with yet another dodge, Wardes caught sight of something both welcome, and dangerous.

* * *

><p>Montmorency crushed yet another mast, taking a moment to catch her breath. This galleon had proven a little more difficult to disable now that the sailors were catching onto her objective. She had to fight them away from the masts before even chancing a swing. Plus, she now had to deal with mages who had time to prepare for her arrival.<p>

Looking at the moaning sailors around her, Montmorency briefly offered a word. "Thanks for you hospitality, but I should really get going." One more leap took her soaring toward her final target. The flagship of the whole ship was all that remained. With a grimace, she spotted no sailors on deck, only marines and a couple mages. They were a prepared lot, if nothing else. The marines on board raised their muskets to her, tracing her fall.

In the instant she landed on deck, smoke billowed from the musket of all the assembled marines. In response, a thick steam billowed from Montmorency's hammer. Rather than cut through the vapor, the musket balls impacted the white steam like it was taffy; embedding only part way through. Then as quickly as it appeared, Montmorency's steam vanished. Clinks of numerous tiny metal balls on wood sounded across the stunned deck. "Oh come on, do think I would have made it here if it was that easy?" Montmorency chided.

Before they could respond, Montmorency sprung into motion. Her hammer a twirling blur of silver, she spared each marine only a single strike, taking him out of commission. Rather than move to the mast, Montmorency closed on the captain. His wand was up as soon as he realized her intent. Javelins of ice formed in the air around him, giving Montmorency only a brief warning. The javelins lanced toward Montmorency, forcing her on the defensive. Twirling her hammer, she deflected two, sidestepped another and jumped away from the rest. Yet midair she had to turn and meet a gout of fire with a wall of steam. Landing upon the mast beam, Montmorency eyed up the second mage on the opposite end of the ship. If she perused one, he would defend while the other was free to pick her off. Targeting one wouldn't work. The marines below had drawn sabers, further complicating the problem.

"Only one choice then." Montmorency told herself. With grunt she lurched toward the fire mage. Midair, she let her hammer fly, not toward the fire mage, but toward the Captain. Forced on the defensive, the Captain could only raise a wall of ice to defect the spinning hammer. The force of the throw moved Montmorency from the path of a blast of flame. Landing next to the helm, she flashed the burly helmsman a grin before kicking him across the deck. Grabbing the great wheel, Montmorency grin grew as she locked eyes with the fire mage. The spell on his lips faltered when Montmorency lurched the wheel to the right with all her might. The great wheel spun hard, causing the entire ship to lurch at the sudden change of course.

Many lost their footing, including a certain fire mage. The man hastily rose to find himself faced with that same mad grin the girl had been sporting from the beginning. "Hello." Was all she said before a quick jab to the face knocked him out.

With no time to waste, Montmorency raced across the deck, dispatching marine after marine as she did. Their sabers were useless! They just moved too slow! "Clear the deck!" A commanding voice shook the Montmorency's remaining opponents. The captain descended the bow staircase, his eyes never leaving Montmorency's. Groaning marines were hauled off the deck by the still uninjured. The captain began to speak, his voice hard and stern. "I don't know wha-"

"No stalling!" Montmorency cried over him as she dashed to meet him. She would not be giving his marines a chance to reload. The man hastily summoned a wall of ice before him. Montmorency's fist impacted the block of frozen water, sending a spider web of cracks across it. Though not from her strength, the wall splintered, forming into a thousand daggers. Thinking fast, Montmorency pushed off the deck, barely avoiding the rapid succession of ice shards. Still in motion, she grabbed hold of the rigging and swung around, changing her course yet again. Darts of ice darted around her, yet remained unable to find her.

Montmorency noted the Captain had once again summoned javelins and was perusing her. Mad grin growing even more, Montmorency noted him leaving her hammer's resting place. Still falling from the rigging, Montmorency had no way of dodging the first of the javelins. Instead she lashed out with her fist. Pain exploded and was silenced within Montmorency's mind. The spear of ice shattered, but its trailing debris sliced ribbons into her arm. Briefly noting she could no longer move her hurt arm, Montmorency dodged between the remaining spears of ice coming ever closer to the mage before her.

Once again he raised a wall of ice, yet this time Montmorency jumped over it. Her target was the hammer, not the mage. "Frost!" A voice called from behind her. Rather than finding purchase upon wood, Montmorency found only slick ice. Tumbling to the ground she slid several feet before reaching the edge of the conjured ice. She was on her feet fast, but not fast enough.

Having already dismissed his ice, the captain stood just out of reach, two javelins hovering behind him. She could dodge the first... but not the second. "You have lost. Surrender." The stern voice of the captain spoke through his own labored breaths. Montmorency took a bit of pride knowing she pushed him to his limit. The entire man's body darkened along with his expression. "You... while are you still grinning like that?"

Montmorency jumped backwards clearing the danger just in time. The captain had no time to capitalize on his opponent's move, as his question was answered for him. With a mighty crunch, the body of a wind dragon landed upon him, killing him before he even felt any pain. Montmorency looked up to a bloodied and panting Louise, her spear stuck in the beast's gut. Grabbing her hammer, Montmorency jumped up to her friend's side. On the other side of the ship, the marines were forming up and reloading their rifles. What worried her was the slowly descending mage. "Your late." She tried a joke, hoping to get a reaction from the girl.

Louise retrieved her spear and whirled on the crowd behind her, paying Montmorency no heed. "Wardes!" She cursed. The girl made to leap for the man just as the marines leveled their muskets.

So enraged, Louise didn't even notice the marines. She could only see Wardes. She could only see the traitor. A chain of resounding cracks filled the battlefield. In that instant, Louise felt a body collide with hers. Gold filled her vision. Shaking the intruder off, Louise looked up to see Montmorency leaning over her. "Blockhead." Montmorency returned Louise's insult to her. Behind Montmorency, Louise could make out a layer of white steam, spikes protruding from it as it barely restrained the bullets. "We take that out and were home free right?" With a jerk of her head, Montmorency gestured toward the unguarded mast. "So let's finish this and get the hell out of he-"

Blood sprayed from Montmorency's chest and splattered across Louise. The hammer wielding maiden looked down to find no blade of metal, but only a quickly disappearing spear of wind. "Ah-" She let out a breath and collapsed to her knees, joining Louise on the deck. Level with each other, the two girls looked into each other's eyes for a brief moment. Then, eyes closing, Montmorency fell to the deck.

Unbelieving, Louise looked down to her friend. This was impossible. They were so close. Once again, rage seeped into Louise's heart. True rage outstripping anything she had ever felt before. Gripping her staff, Louise channeled everything she had into it and leveled it at Wardes. His wand was still leveled at her, a spell but a moment from his lips. Yet he fell silent, realizing that any spell would only hurry his death.

Louise looked to the man before her. Every fiber of her being wanted him dead, but even as she prepared to kill him, the marines around her were finishing loading their muskets. She had time for one shot. "FOUNDER BE DAMNED!" She cursed, swinging her staff around and letting the bolt of energy fly.

The tremendous explosion scattered debris into the air and severed the mast from the ship completely. With a wave of his wand, Wardes dispersed the smoke before him. Men lay scattered about; some groaning and some silent. Both girls were gone however. The only evidence they left behind was a silver hammer.

Looking out across the disabled fleet, Wardes realized the invasion was lost before it even began. Raising a hand to his lips, he let loose a piercing whistle.

One marine approached Wardes. The soldier cradled an arm, but didn't look too hurt. "With Captain Leon dead, you are in charge sir." Wardes tilted his head to the side, pondering the man's words before dismissing them. Ignoring the man, Wardes walked over to the husk of a dragon and stooped down. While Captain Leon was far from presentable, his hat had escaped unscathed.

Bending down, Wardes retrieved that hat and place it upon his head, having lost his own in the aerial battle. While he was not accustomed to it, the hat _was_rather fetching. "Uh, sir?" The marine tried again.

Dusting himself off, Wardes looked beyond the man. "Sometimes, you just have to cut your losses I suppose." The marine could only look on oddly. Was he referring to the invasion? To the hat? The man never got to ask however, as a griffon appeared from the sky and landed next to Wardes. Mounting his griffon, Wardes looked to the silver hammer on the ship's deck. Should he take it? His answer was given to him when the weapon disappeared in a burst of light. "Cut your losses indeed." He spoke to no one in particular. Then, with a flap of its wings, the griffon launched itself up and away from the floundering ship. It would be hours before Tristain captured the disabled vessels. That was plenty of time to make himself scarce.

* * *

><p>AN: So, here you go, for those interested, the action was around 4.75 k words. I feel like I may have drawn it on too long. If you think so, let me know. I'd be grateful for input on the action scene in particular as it is my first attempt at such a long one.


	9. Chapter 9: Motivation

**A/N:** Hey Everybody! I'd like you all to give a big hello and thank you to my new beta reader A Dark Alias! It is only with the help of my new beta reader that I am putting out vastly improved work. Anyways, please enjoy!

**Chapter 9: Motivation**

"O Founder Brimir. He who watches over us. He who guides us. He who protects us. Guide your humble servant. Grant me the wisdom to know your will, the strength to follow it, and the power to achieve it." Deep, somber words filled the empty cathedral. Cardinal Tomas de Torquemada knelt before the altar of the Founder and prayed.

One calloused hand gripped the gold medallion of his station. Though he would never admit it, silently he missed the painted wooden replica amulet of his rookie paladin days. The heavy gold medallion pulled at the chain a bit too much for his tastes. That, and the gems set in it seemed too gaudy. Holy relic or no, five gems could be sold to a noble for enough money to build an orphanage or to better equip some recruits. Yet, this was a holy relic from the time of Brimir himself, suggesting to pawn it was laughable at best. Finishing his prayer, Tomas bent his head to the amulet and kissed the black gem of void, paying homage to Brimir the Founder.

Standing up, he idly let his thumb rub the sapphire that symbolized his own element. It was a silly superstition from his training days, but a little bit of good luck never hurt anyone. "Cardinal Torquemada." A young paladin announced himself and knelt.

Turning to the man, Tomas looked upon his subordinate. "Rise, Paladin Reeve." Tomas spoke, recalling the man's name. The rookie paladin was the fifth son of a minor noble house. While not exceptionally bright, he was dedicated and studious. In some ways, Reeve reminded Tomas of his younger self. "Report."

Rising to his feet, Paladin Reeve held out a rolled parchment. "Sir, we have a solid lead. Two girls matching the description held off a surprise attack on Tristain by the rebels of Albion four days ago."

Tomas' eyes widened a fraction. This could be the break he had prayed for. Ever since they sent out dragon riders to distribute posters across the lands, things had barely progressed. Gallia and Albion were too dangerous for all but the most veteran paladins; the former being on increasingly tense terms with Romalia, and the latter being torn apart by war. Moreover, they had received reports of sightings from more villages across Helgenkia than not. Tristain itself refused to give any aid to the search. Their Princess remained firm in her resolution to prepare for Albion's possible attack. If nothing else, her fears proved to have warrant. The only country that readily helped was Germania, and the chance of the two liches fleeing to their ancestral enemy was almost as likely as the Pope himself sheltering them!

Any speck of pink hair was reported. One would think such a distinguishing feature would help find his quarry, but evidently pink hair was just common enough to be spread across Helgenkia, yet rare enough to stand out against other features. Beyond misreports, every commoner upset at their lord seemed to get the idea to accuse them of sheltering heretic liches.

However, if this report was accurate, their constant search might not be in vain. Unraveling the missive, Tomas quickly scanned the document. According to the report, a small fleet of Albion ships had sought to create a foothold in Tarbes, but had been repulsed by two "Angels of Brimir" as the locals were calling them. Though accounts varied slightly, the general descriptions held true. That, along with the reports that they flew upon a silver staff, something not released to the public, pointed to a credible lead. "Do we have any forces near Tarbes?" The Cardinal spoke, returning the missive to Paladin Reeve.

"Some. The squad that sent the initial report has moved to investigate." Reeve took the parchment and rerolled it.

Tomas looked back to the altar of the Founder and offered silent thanks. "Good, I'll head out immediately. Inform the Pope of my departure."

Reeve once again bowed, "Sir..." Though he was dismissed, Reeve lingered with some hesitation. "Permission to speak freely, sir?"

Raising an eyebrow, Tomas studied his subordinate. "Of course." Though Tomas made a point to allow his men to be candid one on one, it wasn't something Reeve had ever exercised before.

Shifting his weight, Reeve searched for the right words. "Well, I was just wondering. How could the girls who stopped this invasion really be the heretic liches we seek? Throwing yourself against an army to save a small village doesn't sound like the actions of an evil lich." Confusion and a slight bit of fear shined through Reeve's eyes.

Cardinal Tomas smiled and placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder, easing any fears of reprimand for the slightly sacrilegious question. "Very few in this world believe themselves to be evil, Reeve. Even fewer still are actually purely evil. A cold blooded murderer may sacrifice his life for his son. A thief may starve to feed his family. _And _a lich may stand alone against an army to protect her homeland." Strengthening his grip, the Cardinal tried to reassure his subordinate. "However, an act of good does not make up for an act of evil. The murderer must be executed, the thief jailed, and the lich burned. Only Brimir can cleanse their sins in the next life. Understand?"

While Reeve had no great epiphany, he did seem to understand. "I think I get it sir. I will think on your words."

"That is all I ask, Reeve. Now, is there anything else?" Reeve shook his head and excused himself. Despite his misgivings, he had a job to do. Not sparing a moment, Tomas left for the stables. His wind dragon could make the flight in two days, maybe one if he flew through the night. The two liches had nearly a week head start on him, but Tomas was beginning to understand their plan. The only reason to be in the vicinity of Tarbes was the Port La Rochelle.

Run as they might, he would find them. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

><p>Blood. There was so much blood. Unrecognized faces and unintelligible voices filled Louise's every thought. Something wrong had happened. Something that she had to fix. Had to correct.<p>

"Montmorency!" Louise screamed, bolting upright and sending her blankets flying. She immediately regretted the reflex as pain lanced up her side. Panting, Louise gently held her bandaged wound. Slowly, the pain subsided and Louise let her hand drop. Looking to her right, Louise spied the unmoving form of the sleeping Montmorency. Despite Louise's cry, she showed no signs of waking. Even her familiar Robin showed no signs of startling. The frog sat as motionless as ever atop its master. Louise wondered if her own familiar would be so depressed if she were in such a state. _Not likely._

Louise chided herself. It had been four days since they had repelled Albion's invasion, and she woke the same way each morning. She was going to have to sleep elsewhere unless she wanted to disturb Montmorency. Then again, would that be such a bad thing? The girl had not woken even once in the past four days despite not having a wound on her. _She'll probably die soon anyways, _the thought came unbidden to Louise's mind. Her entire body seized with grief at the thought, pain lancing through her core and causing her wounds to ache once again. Focusing, she shut it out. Despair, sorrow, grief; she had no time for these emotions. Two deep breaths later, and Louise's mind was as calm as still water and her aches slowly faded.

With careful precision, Louise extracted herself from the makeshift bed, stopping only to grab her Soul Gem. Barely a flicker of pink was left in the darkened orb. Even in four days of not using her magic, it had not regenerated at all. Montmorency's was marginally better, showing at least a small but distinguishable glow of gold in the darkness. Worry seeped into Louise's heart, as if mirroring the pulsing blackness that threatened to consume the last bit of pink. Once again, Louise silenced her growing panic. Just like in battle, just like her mother had taught her; shut out the useless emotions, focus on the task.

Once dressed, Louise moved to the curtain that separated the newly constructed infirmary from the rest of the large building. Although she could not recall much of the time between Montmorency being wounded and waking up with a worried Colbert leaning over her, she was thankful she had ended up back in the hidden valley. There were far worse places to wake, certainly.

The Dragon's Raiment itself sat unattended. According to Colbert, he was trying to replicate its blood, and thus was busy with his alchemical supplies outside. Though Louise guessed he was refraining from making noise while Montmorency rested. Without the man's constant tinkering with the artifact, the building was surprisingly silent. Outside the open door, Louise could make out Siesta sitting by the fire talking to someone just outside Louise's vision. From the brewing pot over the fire, Louise guessed stew was for dinner.

Slow steps took Louise to the building door. Caution was needed. If another villager had come, she couldn't let herself be seen. According to Siesta, someone had seen Louise descend into the forest after the battle. Luckily, Colbert and Siesta had found her first. The man was smart enough to hide them from the people they had saved. Traveling with Montmorency in such a state was impossible; keeping an entire village quiet about their saviors equally so. Instead, they had let the village believe they were still somewhere in the forest. The village had searched both the forest and the hidden valley for them for two days, but had since assumed they moved on. Hopefully, it would throw the church off their trail long enough for Montmorency to recover.

Though Siesta's conversation partner was most likely Colbert, it never hurt to be careful. Reaching the door, Louise listened in for Colbert's voice, but heard nothing. Yet despite that, Siesta replied as if spoken to. "Oh, is that so? I wonder what I would wish for."

Louise's mind kicked into overdrive as she lurched around the corner. Opposite Siesta, the little white Kyuubey sat perched upon a log staring intently at the maid. "_Siesta!_" Louise hissed out in warning. "Do _not _agree to anything he offers you." Striding forward, Louise made for her familiar. "And you!" The Kyuubey turned to her and unflinchingly gazed into Louise's eyes. "What do you think you're doing?" Rage flared to life within Louise. Again, pain lanced throughout her body. This thing knew it shredded Louise's life with its contract, and now it was seeking a new target?

Though she knew it would be painful, Louise never got the chance to enact her undecided punishment upon her familiar. Siesta jumped in front of Louise and blocked her path. "Miss Louise, calm down." Worry, fear, and confusion were splashed across the maid's face.

Once again Louise focused herself and pushed her emotions down. As soon as she was calm, she explained the situation, "Siesta, the reason I am on the run from the church-"

"Is because of a wish you made with Mister Kyuubey here, right?" Siesta finished for her. Louise could only take a step back in shock. "Mister Kyuubey was just answering my questions. I'm sorry; it is my fault for going behind your back."

Eyes darting between Siesta and the Kyuubey, Louise looked for any sign of trickery. "I don't blame you for your curiosity. If anyone deserves to know the story, it would be you and Professor Colbert." Locking eyes with her familiar, Louise cautioned it. "You and I will have a chat later." She ordered.

Still defending the Kyuubey, Siesta spoke up. "Please forgive him. He was the one who brought Mr. Colbert and I to you." That certainly piqued Louise's interest. She knew Siesta and Colbert found her unconscious with Montmorency, but that the Kyuubey had a hand in it was new.

Yet, before Louise could inquire further, she was interrupted by a flustered Colbert exiting the tree line. "Louise, Siesta, in the warehouse _now_." His tone left no room for argument. Never before had Louise heard her bumbling professor sound so _dangerous_. Both girls were up and through the door in seconds. Colbert approached and gripped the massive sliding door. "I can sense people approaching. Do not make a sound." Then, leaving them no time to respond, Colbert threw his weight into the door. With a low clang, the door closed, leaving only a sliver of an opening. Louise could not help but peek through. Men from the church, most likely. This was it. This was the end of the road. Her heart ached once again. Maybe it would be better to just turn herself in now and spare Colbert the pain. _No._ Louise stopped herself, thinking of the resting Montmorency. With a force of effort, Louise pushed down her sorrowful thoughts and focused on the scene before her.

Checking the latch once, Louise could see the stern, worried face of her Professor transform into a startlingly believable fake smile. He sat down before the fire and began tending to the stew. Less than a minute passed before four men exited the tree line. Louise recognized the armor they wore all too well. Paladins of the church. Looking up as if startled, Colbert rose and spoke. "Gentlemen, can I help you?" His voice was measured and restrained with a hint of cheerfulness.

One stepped forward. His greying hair and metal amulet marked him as their leader. With a flourish, he unraveled a parchment. Upon it was writing and a seal Louise could not make out, though she did not need to. "By order of the Pope. An inquisition has been called to search for and detain Montmorency Margarita la Fere de Montmorency and Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere. Both are convicted of partaking in unholy magic and transforming themselves into liches." The man's voice was confident and stern. Louise gripped her wand instinctively.

"Oh my, I had no idea." Colbert spoke with feigned surprise. If Louise didn't know any better, she would assume he really was aghast. His apparent confusion threw the paladin off. Surely everyone had heard of the two liches. Everyone was talking about it. Answering the unasked question, Colbert continued. "Well, I have been up here in this valley studying the Dragon's Raiment for quite some time. Plus, I rarely listen to gossip anyway."

The paladin finally found his words. "Be that as it may, there were reports of the two being in the area. We will be searching the premises." With that the Paladin took a step forward only to stop again.

"No." The response was so casual that it caused the greying paladin to double take.

A brief silence fell over the campfire, broken only when Colbert leaned down to lift the lid on the pot and give a sniff. Thinking for a moment, he then nodded and replaced the lid. "What do you mean no? We have an order from the Pope!" The paladin nearly lost his cool. How _dare_ this man dismiss an order from the Pope so casually!

Colbert simply crooked his staff in his elbow while he withdrew a cloth from his pocket and retrieved his glasses from his face. With careful precision, the man began to clean the lenses. "I mean no. Do not take me for a fool, dog of the church." Gone was the casual tone of voice. Instead, a different man than Louise's professor stood there. "Three years ago, I found a magic-less artifact, Angel's Horn. I leave it in the care of the local clergy to retrieve the proper supplies to study it, and when I return, it has up and vanished." Bringing his glasses to his mouth, Colbert let out a breath, clouding them momentarily. "Two years ago, I find another magic-less artifact, Siren's Shell. A detachment from Romalia comes and asks to help study it. 'Why not?' I said. Surely more like-minded individuals would only help. Then I wake up one morning and they've taken it after finding out it was 'cursed.' Despite the fact that I had already determined no magic affected it." Finally content with his glasses, Colbert replaced them on his face and pocketed his cloth. With one hand, he reclaimed his staff. "Do you see what I am getting at here?" Though Louise could not see her professor's face with his back to her, it must have been something fierce because the paladin took a half step back.

Trying to calm the man before him, the paladin spoke. "I assure you, I have no idea what you mean. We are only here to follow an inquisition order."

"Indeed you are." Colbert cut the man off. "Amazing how that order has led a squad of Romalian muscle to an isolated valley that just happens to contain the Dragon's Raiment." Colbert gestured back to the building where Louise hid. "I will not let my research just disappear into whatever hole you Romalians keep dumping all this knowledge."

Once again, the paladin tried to calm Colbert as the professor grew seemingly more and more hostile. "Sir, I promise you. We are just here to search for the liches."

The comment did not have the intended effect, however. Colbert's voice turned so venomous that Louise was not sure he was faking anymore. "Oh yes, the "liches". Strange how anyone that the church doesn't like ends up a heretic of some kind... What, was Louise's sister uncontrollable? Or did Karin refuse to let you torch a village on her land? Was D'Angleterre not enough?"

Though Louise did not recognize the name, one of the paladins did. In a moment of realization, his face paled. Leaning forward, the man whispered to his leader. After a brief pause, the head paladin turned in surprise to his subordinate. Whatever was said must have been important, because the man was sufficiently cowed. "We'll leave for now. But expect the lord of this land to hear of this."

Colbert only watched impassively as the paladins turned and left. He stood there, motionless for a minute. Then, without a word, he turned back and motioned for Louise to stay put. Satisfied that Louise got his message, the professor made his way into the woods.

The minutes that followed were some of the longest Louise had ever lived through. She was only vaguely aware that Siesta was also looking through the crack in the door anxiously. Yet, no sounds of battle were heard. Nothing seemed out of place. Soon enough, Professor Colbert exited the tree line. "They're gone, you can come out now."

Siesta let out a breath of relief, something Louise was surprised she didn't need to do. Was all this fighting and running becoming commonplace to her? Ignoring the oddity, Louise exited the building along with Siesta. Despite the paladins' retreat, Colbert had a rather foul look upon his face. Curious as she was, Louise knew better than to ask. "I'll be working on the dragon blood, call me when dinner is ready."

With that curt order, Colbert left for his makeshift distillery. Siesta and Louise could only watch and wonder as the man left. Something was bothering him, but neither of them could guess what. When Siesta sat down to tend to the stew, Louise took the chance to leave. The mood wasn't one for pleasant conversation. Spying her familiar watching from within the building, Louise gave him a sharp look. Now was as good a time as any to have that conversation.

* * *

><p>After retreating to the makeshift infirmary, Louise checked the curtain one more time to make sure Siesta hadn't followed. This was as private a place as she could get. Plus, she could continue to keep an eye on Montmorency. Once more, worry crept into Louise's heart and once more she silenced it. "I have some questions for you, familiar, and you are going to answer them." With a critical eye, she studied her familiar.<p>

The white Kyuubey sat idly upon Louise's bed. "You wish to know why your soul gem is darkening." Its cute voice spoke for her.

With her brow furrowing, Louise pondered her familiar's forthrightness. This was not something she expected; the Kyuubey usually only gave exactly what was asked. "Yes..." She replied cautiously.

Beady red eyes watched pink. Studied them. After a small pause, the Kyuubey continued. "As a magical girl uses her power, their soul gem will become more and more corrupted with despair. At a certain point, the corruption overtakes the soul gem and the magical girl transforms into a witch."

It was said with the exact same tone that Kyuubey always spoke with. No big reveal, no hint of remorse. Just information. Panic raced through Louise's mind. "Those things you told me about. The invisible monsters that kill humans. You're saying I'm becoming one of them? You're lying!" Louise's breathing quickened and her chest ached. Being hunted wasn't enough, now she was turning into a monster?

"I do not understand the concept of deception." It replied, still speaking in that same level tone.

_No... No no no no!_ This could not be happening. Louise's hand found her soul gem. The darkness within pulsed and a pain lanced through her core. The pain! It was almost unbearable. Then, with a surge of willpower, Louise pushed her despair, her fear, and all her anger into the recesses of her mind. She had to stay in control. She had too many questions, and all of them required a critical mind. "Can the corruption be removed?"

The Kyuubey did not respond at first. It sat stock still for nearly ten seconds, Louise could not tell whether it was studying her, or thinking. She was about to speak up when it replied. "Witches leave grief seeds when killed, which can be used to cleanse a soul gem. That is the only way. However, there are no witches that are within your ability to reach." Louise almost laughed at the tragedy of it all. What she was afraid to become held the key to her salvation.

That left becoming human again before she transformed. "How far away are Montmorency and I from becoming these witches?"

Again the Kyuubey lagged in its response, though it was noticeably shorter. "Montmorency is close, but not in immediate danger." Again the familiar paused, and Louise could see its eyes lower to her soul gem. "You are beyond the limit. For some reason, you have repeatedly repressed the transformation."

The beginnings of fear were crushed down before Louise could begin to panic. Instead she focused on the facts. The unbidden sorrow and despair, the lances of pain. Each time she pushed them down, was she delaying the transformation? Still, it raised more questions than it answered. "Why do this? Why doom us like this?" Louise ignored the fact that her own tone was as unwavering as her familiar. Rather than give in to any emotions, she needed to learn what she could. For Montmorency.

"That is complex question. From what I have learned, your civilization does not yet understand the concept of entropy." Louise raised an eyebrow, _Entropy?_ "Simply put, burning a log of wood gives less energy than it takes to grow a tree. Energy is lost every moment all across the universe. Eventually, there will be none left, and the universe will die." Louise could barely keep up, but the Kyuubey did not wait for her. "My race discovered a way of converting emotions into vast amounts of free energy. The only problem is that my race lacks emotions." It should have surprised her, but it didn't. Her familiar never showed any fear, compassion, anger or fear; only caution and confusion. It lacking emotions... fit.

Louise was starting to connect the dots. "That is what a magical girl is then: a log that you burn to fuel the universe." Though she hated it; Louise understood the reasoning. She did not agree with the method, but the logic was not lost on her. However, it did point to one terrible conclusion. Why burn just two logs? "How many others have you made magical girls? Is that what you were doing with Siesta? Trying to gain another magical girl to burn?"

There was no pause this time. "Only you and Montmorency have become magical girls in this world. Even if it was possible to contract with Siesta, I did not contract with you two to gain free energy, but to combat energy loss." Louise was not sure if she should take the Kyuubey at its word, but it had yet to lie outright to her, so she accepted it for the time being and counted her blessings that there would not be a sudden outbreak of witches across Tristain. "The reason I contracted with you Louise, was because of your old magic."

That piqued Louise's interest, what did her magic have to do with anything. "When you summoned me, I originally planned to simply observe this world. Your people's inborn magic provides free energy, but on a much smaller scale. If copied, it could be a more sustainable way to combat entropy, rather than magical girl incubation." Louise began to understand. A mage who created a fireball created more energy than what it took for him to cast the spell. "Then I observed your magic and had to adjust." The idea that despite being a thing of her past, her magic had somehow continued to be a thorn in her side was not a thought Louise enjoyed. "You performed direct mass to energy conversion, yet managed only a fraction of the actual contained energy. Simply put, your magic created enough entropy to make up for your entire race's free energy production."

With another surge of willpower, Louise ignored her magic dooming her once again, and focused on trying to understand. "So you gave me another form of magic to use so you could what? Study me? And what about Montmorency?"

"A control group." The Kyuubey replied. "I am surprised, however. Even as corrupted as you have become, you are the most logical human being that I have spoken with."

Louise ignored the compliment. It felt dirty coming from the Kyuubey. "So why tell me this now? You say you don't understand deception, but you have definitely withheld information that you know we would want to know."

It was the Kyuubey's turn to once again study her. "It is the most probable way for me to remain close to you without you killing me. You were considering it, yes?" Louise didn't deny that fact. Even through this conversation, she had been weighing the pros and cons of killing her familiar. "Even if you kill me now, the data I have gained from the conversation thus far would be worth it."

If Louise still had any doubts that her familiar lacked emotions, its casual dismissal of its own life's worth erased them. "Assuming I don't kill you. You plan to come along and be of use? If we find a way to become human again, would you try and stop us?"

The small animal shook its head. "Of course not. Something like that would provide valuable data. I will continue to assist you to the best of my abilities, as I always have."

While it pained her to admit it, Louise knew she still needed her familiar. Beyond his usefulness as a familiar, there was a fair chance his knowledge on their soul gems would be needed. "Very well familiar, I promise not to harm you as long as you don't hinder me, and don't attempt to create any more magical girls."

Louise wondered if an emotionless being felt relief. After a moment, the Kyuubey replied, "This is acceptable."

Turning to her bed, Louise felt the urge to take a nap. "One more thing familiar, Montmorency is not to hear a word of this. She is not as good with her emotions as I am, and she is liable to do something stupid if she learns about grief seeds." Not bothering to wait for his reply, Louise flopped onto the bed. She was just too tired from all of this.

* * *

><p>The nap turned out to be shorter than Louise hoped. Though, the reason for its brevity was definitely worth it. The hearty smell of stew was the first thing she noticed when she awoke. The next was a voice she had been longing to hear. "Siesta, your stew is just as good as I remember it. Is there a reason you only let me eat it when I am starving?" Light and joking, yet retaining all its elegance; only one person spoke like that. Snapping upright, Louise looked across the room to Montmorency. No longer was the girl sleeping amongst the dead. Propped up on several pillows, the girl was ravenously digging into a bowl of stew along with a much slower eating Siesta sitting in a chair at the end of the bed. Noting Louise's awakening, Montmorency raised her free hand and waved. "Good morning!" She said with a bright smile.<p>

Nearly halfway through getting out of bed, Louise stumbled at the casual greeting. "You spend four days in bed and the first thing you say is 'Good Morning?' That's it?"

"Well, I guess good evening would be more appropriate." Montmorency's teasing smile never left her face.

Untangling herself from her blanket, Louise strode slowly over to where Montmorency sat. Without a word, Louise immediately embraced her friend, nearly sending the now empty bowl of stew flying. "Blockhead, I thought you were going to die." Returning the embrace, Montmorency clutched her friend tightly.

* * *

><p>Montmorency was up and about the next day. Though she had been down for over half a week, it seemed a hearty breakfast and dinner was all she needed to get back into shape. She spent the entire morning rebuffing the worries of the other three residents of the hidden valley. "Are you sure you're feeling fine?" Once again Louise questioned Montmorency.<p>

Not stopping her work with the mortar and pestle that she borrowed from the professor, Montmorency shrugged off Louise's worry. "I'm feeling fine. I mean, my wounds are all healed up, unlike a certain someone." Louise's hand moved unbidden to her side. Though the wound was mostly healed, it still had a bit to go. "On that note, how _did_ I end up getting healed? I remember being stabbed, then waking up."

Louise's hand briefly traced the black gem on her ring. "It's still a bit hazy, but when I flew you away from the fleet, you were hurt really bad." Montmorency stopped and watched her friend fidget. "I remember trying to put pressure on your wound, but you were bleeding pretty badly. Then, I just sort of knew. I healed you." Montmorency's brow furrowed. Louise wasn't even a water mage, let alone a trained healer. "Not with my normal magic." Again Montmorency was surprised; healing was not exactly related to tossing around exploding orbs of darkness. "My familiar says it has something to do with my wish; because I wished to heal my sister, I am able to heal others with magic. Remember what it said about expanding our abilities?"

Montmorency did remember. So this is what the Kyuubey had meant. "So then, am I going to develop a power to know where you are all the time? If so, hide and seek will be ruined forever."

One hand rushed to Louise's mouth to repress a snort. "Blockhead, we are too old for hide and seek."

"Ah, I saw the smile! You keep walking around with that blank expression of yours, I was beginning to think you had lost it." Louise rolled her eyes at Montmorency's triumphant smile.

"Girls." The stern voice of Professor Colbert called out to them. The man approached from around the side of the building. "We need to talk." The man gestured to the seats around the dying fire. Montmorency hurried to scoop the last of her mashed herb into a vial before sitting down next to Louise. Once he had their attention, Colbert handed them a piece of parchment. "I understand your hurry, but running off to Albion in the middle of the night? Am I that scary?"

His attempt at a joke fell flat however. Both girls were preoccupied with guilt. Louise spoke first, "Listen, Professor, we couldn't get you caught up in this."

Colbert stopped Louise with a single hand. "I understand your reasoning, not that I agree with it." With a level gaze, Colbert asked plainly, "I can help you quite a bit, girls. I may not look it, but I used to be quite the soldier."

Though his desire to help them was touching, Louise was also beginning to see to the heart of the man. "And you would leave Siesta here? Or would you take her with us? Am I wrong in assuming that your presence is what deters Mott from trying anything?"

He may have expected a strong refusal of his services, but Colbert had not anticipated that route of attack."Mott isn't about to try anything in another lord's territory. I can pay the rest of Siesta's contract."

Louise dug deeper, not buying his excuses. "And what of yourself, professor? You spend half a lifetime searching for something like the Dragon's Raiment and you are willing to drop everything for a couple of students in trouble?" Colbert could only gape at Louise's directness.

Montmorency chimed in, supporting Louise. "We are really grateful for your help, professor, but we decided that we would see this through without dragging others down with us." The two girls held hands, supporting one another and standing firm in their resolution.

Slowly, Colbert began to realize he wasn't going to convince them. Smiling weakly, he spoke, "I suppose you girls really don't need my help." Looking into the girls' eyes, Colbert found no room for argument. Sighing, he withdrew a satchel from his robe. "I figured it might end up this way, so at least allow me to give you this." He lightly tossed the small satchel to Louise. The jingling of coins greeted Louise's ears. "That should be enough to get by for a while." From the weight of the bag, Louise knew the purse contained a great deal more than the price of two airship tickets. Just as she was about to protest, the man held up a hand to stop her. "This is the least I can do, girls."

Rather than try to dissuade the man, Louise bowed humbly. "Thank you, professor." Montmorency was quick to follow with her own thanks.

Waving off their gratitude in embarrassment, Colbert changed the subject, "You are most welcome. Now, onto more pressing matters: you two need to leave tonight." Though Louise had no intention of overstaying her welcome, she did not expect the professor to volunteer the option. Noticing her surprise, Colbert continued, "I may have dissuaded those men from the church for now, but they'll be back with more soon. Remaining here would be a very bad idea. Now, travel between Albion and Tristain is locked down after the invasion. But there is a way to get there." Louise perked up at the idea. "Whenever trade is stopped between two countries, men of a particular trade are sure to show themselves." Colbert leaned in and smiled knowingly, "Smugglers."

Louise nearly gaped. The thought of associating with criminals wasn't something she was accustomed to. Smugglers made their living trafficking illicit goods and wanted criminals. Then again, Louise realized she _was_ a wanted criminal. Exactly the kind of person who would hire a smuggler. Glancing to Montmorency, she found agreement. This was their best plan. "Go to La Rochelle and find a bar with no military anywhere near it. That's where you'll find what you are looking for." Colbert looked off toward La Rochelle. Though the port was not visible beyond the cliff wall, Louise followed his eyes. Tonight, then. Tonight they would once again head for Albion.  
>**********************************************************<p> 


	10. Chapter 10: The Black Gem

A/N: Hey all, here is chapter 10. Expect Chapter 11 not to take so long, my apologies.

**Chapter 10: The Black Gem**

Brimir must have a very strange sense of humor, Guiche decided. Once he had set himself on focusing his affections on one lady, that lady disappeared. As soon as he gained the resolve to search for her, she is declared a lich. Confused and saddened, Guiche had lost his direction in life. Turning to his magic, the boy had buried himself in books. When the messenger came announcing war, Guiche had leapt at the chance.

Now having just received his assignment, Guiche knew that Brimir was enjoying messing with him. Somehow, Guiche was to command the Musketeer Corps: The all-female royal guard of the princess. His first meeting had gone about as well as expected. As elites second only to the three mage corps above them, the musketeers had not taken kindly to a rookie kid like him replacing their injured commander.

Guiche made his way toward the Princess' temporary residence. The army was marshaling at La Rochelle and she was here to oversee it personally. Maybe he could get her advice on dealing with her own personal guard. Another time, Guiche would have been happy to merely hit on the many beautiful ladies and leave the actual commanding to his second in command. However, the many spitfires under his command only served to remind him of Montmorency.

Approaching the guard to the inn-turned-residence, Guiche announced himself. "I am Guiche de Gramont, might I inquire about an audience with the princess?"

A brief argument later left Guiche walking away thoroughly put out. Sure, he hadn't expected to see the princess right away, but to not even be allowed to schedule an appointment was rather vexing. "Guiche, is it? Can I be of any help?" A kind voice alerted Guiche to company.

There to his right stood a tall pink haired woman. Guiche recognized her as Cattleya Valliere, Louise's older sister who had decided to attend the last year of the academy. It had been an odd sight, a full grown woman amongst the teenagers, but she had been kind. When Louise had been declared a heretic, the woman had been left alone by the rest of the students. Guiche himself didn't know what to think. On the one hand he blamed Louise for her hand in Montmorency's peril, but on the other he knew Louise cared for Montmorency deep enough to duel over it. "You know what? Sure. Maybe you could give me some advice." Nearly rambling, Guiche unloaded his worries of commanding the musketeers to the woman. Though he could not remember when, he soon found himself sitting on a bench telling the calm woman everything that bothered him. How he wasn't cut out for such a strong leadership role. How he worried for Montmorency. How he blamed Louise and blamed himself for blaming her.

Yet even at the mention of his anger at her sister, Cattleya remained silent, just listening. Finally, Guiche rambled to a stop. "Feel better?" Cattleya asked, gaining a surprised nod from Guiche. "Good. For all your worries, you only lack one thing." She leaned in, drawing a confused look from Guiche. With a like poke, she pressed her finger to his chest. "You don't believe in yourself. You don't believe you are good enough for the musketeers, good enough to save Montmorency, and good enough to deserve her." With a warm smile, the woman laid her hand on the boy's head. "Just try to believe in yourself a little more, okay? If you give it everything you've got, I'm sure even a miracle will come true."

Despite the fact that he knew he was being treated like a child, Guiche could only be comforted by the kind woman. Finding his courage, he got up and excused himself. "Thank you." With those words, Guiche departed for the musketeer's barracks. Maybe a good second impression could overrule the first poor one.

* * *

><p>While not quite as dramatic, the heartfelt goodbyes Siesta and Professor Colbert gave were certainly preferable to leaving a note and sneaking off in the middle of the night. That much Louise was certain of. She was also certain that she was becoming slightly jealous of the maid. Siesta had given some spare clothing to both Louise and Montmorency, and while they were certainly better than their previous worn out rags, they also had quite a bit of room in the chest.<p>

Tugging once more at the loose fitting clothing, Louise looked up at the sign overhanging the tavern. "Mermaid's Song? We aren't even near the ocean." Montmorency spoke from beside her. Louise had to agree, it seemed like sailors had not quite made the connection that they no longer sailed the seas. Strange, airships had outnumbered maritime vessels for generations.

"Most likely a tradition passed down from the old days." Louise explained, drawing only an exasperated sigh from Montmorency.

Rolling her eyes, Montmorency elbowed her friend. "Try to have a sense of humor, will you?" Striding forward, Montmorency made for the door. "Anyways, the guy we are looking for is supposed to be here right?"

Checking her hood to make sure it obscured her face, Louise followed her friend. "We are looking for Captain Alexander Dalzeel. Try to be discreet." This would be their third bar searched in La Rochelle. A man at the previous had directed them here. With a light push, Louise swung the door inward. The light creaking of the rusting hinge announced their entrance to the bar's inhabitants. Men of a questionable sort sat scattered about the tavern listening to a subpar bard recite some drinking song. Though Montmorency's and Louise's faces were hidden beneath their hoods, many eyes lingered on them. Their small frames and obvious attempt at hiding their identities drew some attention, but like the previous bars they were dismissed after a moment. Suspicious people were not exactly uncommon in places such as this one.

The two girls made their way over to the bar where a heavyset bartender idly cleaned a mug. Knowing the protocol after two tries, Louise placed an ecu upon the counter. "I'm looking for Captain Alexander Dalzeel."

Apparently she had said something funny, as the bartender snorted while he retrieved her offered coin. "Yeah, he'll be real happy to be called that. The bastard is over there in the back." Louise was thankful her hood hid her distaste of such casual use of foul language. Following the bartender's gesture, Louise spied a singular man nursing a mug of ale near the fireplace. He was obviously a step above the common rabble. His finer clothes and feathered cap said as much. Meeting Louise's gaze, the man raised his mug in greeting.

Carefully keeping her steps measured, Louise walked in stride with Montmorency over to the small table. "You have business with me?" Dalzeel spoke dismissively, gesturing for them to sit in the empty seats.

Careful to angle her hood downward, Louise sat with all the grace she could muster. "Word is you have a ship headed for Saxe-Gotha."

Dalzeel edged around the question. "Trade between Albion and Tristian is prohibited right now. Even if I was going to be making a trip to Saxe-Gotha, why would you want to know?"

Louise had no time to play this game. "Twice the standard passenger fare for each of us. No questions asked and we only need one room between us. We pay when we disembark."

Apparently the offer of gold was enough to sober the captain up. "You're a mite bit strange little lady, but if you wanna pay for pleasure cruise tomorrow morn. Come to the Flying Otter, we'll try not to get lost and end up passing through a blockade or two."

"Acceptable." Louise spoke sternly before rising. The less the man could glean of her the better. Without another word, the two girls left the bar behind and headed out into the evening air.

Once the bar was safely behind them, Montmorency spoke up. "Well, that went better than expected."

The cheer in her voice was lost on Louise. They were still in a populated city with a large military presence. "Let's just keep it up." She spoke lowly to her companion. When Montmorency didn't respond, Louise stopped and turned to her friend. The girl had stopped and was looking back toward the bar. "What is it?"

After a moment, Montmorency turned back and continued. "Eh, nothing... I just realized his ship is called the Flying Otter. What is it with airship sailors and the sea?"

With a suppressed snort, Louise replied. "At least he added 'Flying' to the name." Sharing a giggle, the girls made their way to find an inn.

* * *

><p>"I knew we were boarding a smuggling vessel, I just didn't expect everyone else to know as well." Montmorency voiced her worry as the two boarded the sloop. Half the crew looked like they crawled out of a gutter, and the other half looked worse. Dirty, smelly, more tattoos than skin; each burly sailor basically screamed illegitimate business.<p>

In his fine clothing and cap, Captain Dalzeel stood out plain as day. Striding over to the two girls, the captain folded his hands. "Welcome, er... ladies?" While fairly sure both cloaked figures wire girls, he was not certain. Louise simply offered the agreed upon amount. Once the captain had checked the purse of gold, his smile only broadened. "I am sorry to say we have no proper rooms aboard this sloop, you will be staying in my cabin. The trip is only a day, so I shant be sleeping. I hope you'll pardon the occasional intrusion in exchange for the improved lodging."

While it was an unexpected turn of events, it was not too odd. A smuggling vessel probably converted any passenger space into a hiding place for illicit materials. The captain would probably prefer to have his passengers in his room, rather than possibly getting into the real cargo. "This is acceptable." Louise replied curtly before allowing herself to be led to the captain's cabin.

The two girls only got an occasional glance as they crossed the deck. Despite their grimy appearance, the crew was rather dedicated to their work. The cabin itself was what one would expect from a man such as Dalzeel. He had turned the small room into a gaudy office, dining room, and bedroom. There was little room between the all the furniture. "I only ask that you do not touch my desk. Feel free to nap or use the table. We'll be casting off shortly and we expect to arrive at your destination in the late afternoon with the winds as they are."

When he got no reply, Dalzeel's smile faltered and he excused himself. Finally alone, Montmorency took the opportunity to remove her hood. "Well, this is going a tad bit better than our previous attempt." She forced a smile at her own joke.

"Yes, well we don't have to fight an entire fleet this time around. That is somewhat of an improvement." Louise removed her own hood. "Montmorency," She started with a more somber tone. "I think we should not transform any more unless we absolutely have to."

Tilting her head to the side, Montmorency furrowed her brow. "Why?"

Louise suppressed the deep breath she wanted to take. She had not lied to Montmorency before and doing so was... vexing. "Beyond it really standing out, I have a bad feeling about our soul gems. I think our willpower takes much longer to recover for soul gem magic. So, just don't. Okay?"

Still showing hesitation, Montmorency nodded her head. "Okay, if that is what you think is best. I'll refrain unless it's life or death."

Turning away, Louise bit her lip. While Montmorency might be able to manage a single transformation, she would then be in danger territory and there was no assurance she could also hold back the transformation.

As Louise was now, she doubted she could even handle another transformation. Even contemplating their situation was giving rise to anxiety and panic. Both emotions were accompanied by a pain in her chest, something she could no longer pas off as a side effect of her now healed wounds. As before, Louise concentrated and pushed her fears down. _Maintain control._ Louise thought of her mother and tried to emulate the woman's unshakable resolve. Though difficult, she succeeded in calming herself once again.

The silence between the two girls was broken by a loud cry from outside. "CAST OFF!" No doubt the booming voice belonged to the first mate. Then, following the loud order, the ship began to move. _Toward Albion._ Louise thought. _Toward hope._

* * *

><p>Hours drifted by as the ship slowly drifted along with the wind. Orders could be heard being barked outside now and again as the first mate repeated Dalzeel's orders in his loud, booming voice. The girls passed the time chatting and idly working on their respective projects. Louise worked with the lit candle on the table while Montmorency crushed yet another herb in the mortar and pestle she got from Colbert. The Kyuubey simply sat on the bed, watching the two impassively. Those eyes now held a whole new meaning to her. It was studying them as one might study an animal. Suppressing a shiver, Louise distracted herself by asking what Montmorency was making.<p>

Montmorency smirked mischievously. The girl was always happy to one up Louise's encyclopedic knowledge. "I'm crushing Mudroot. I'll need it for the healing elixir I'm making. I figure if I ever have to heal you, I'll need something to boost my water magic, I'm not too great at healing."

Louise was impressed. Both by the forethought and the intent to make a healing elixir. Healing potions were notoriously difficult to create, and the ingredients were rather rare. Before she could inquire as to when Montmorency had acquired her ingredients, the door to the cabin swung open. Both girls scrambled to replace their hoods in the wake of the intrusion. "Oh! Sorry!" Captain Dalzeel hurriedly apologized and closed the door behind him, nearly dropping the tray he carried in the process. "Er, I just came to eat lunch and I was lost in thought, I should have knocked."

Hidden beneath her hood, Louise whispered. "Did you... did you see?" She failed to keep her tone measured as most of her attention was focused on repressing the spike of fear she felt.

Smiling in embarrassment, the captain rubbed his nose. "I kind of did milady." Sensing the two's growing apprehension, the man held out his hand and tried to placate them. "Not that it matters see? I ne'er had any passengers on dis ship noways right? I'm certainly not goin ta be seeking no church out as a criminal meself right?"

For a moment there was a tense silence, but it was broken by a chortling Montmorency. "Captain, your accent is slipping." Dalzeel himself chuckled his nervousness off and soon enough Louise joined.

When he finished chuckling, the captain once again rubbed his nose trying to hide his embarrassment. "I'll share me meal wit you fine ladies in recompense; if you'll accept it." Striding over to his dining table, he set the tray down and Louise finally got a good look at it. An assortment of rather fine looking fruits cheeses and bread was piled on it. That small paranoid part of her told her to eat her own packed food, but it was silenced when the man cut a loaf in thirds with a knife and began to eat a piece.

Not bothering with her hood, Montmorency grabbed a slice of bread and took a small bite of it. From the way she moved it around in her mouth, Louise could tell she was testing for something. After a moment, the girl smiled and nodded to Louise, further assuaging her paranoia.

Food passed by with quite a bit of merriment. Captain Dalzeel was actually a rather nice fellow. Sure, he was informal and had a story or two of making runs past border patrols, but he was also a warm and welcoming soul. He was also kind enough to not ask for any information from them; he only took the little they offered in stride. "So then I says to the man. I says if you don' wan' me aroun' den-" All of a sudden, the man's face hit the table in front of him with a mighty flop.

Louise was stunned, sure the man had drunken a little wine, but he there was no way the man could have even gotten drunk from a single glass. Looking to her right, Louise spotted Montmorency holding her head. "The cheese..." was all she said before she too flopped over. Louise had no time to question the situation before a wave of vertigo hit her. Unable to tell up from down, the last thing she saw before she blacked out was the table rushing to meet her.

* * *

><p>Shapes slowly faded into focus as Louise wearily opened her eyes. Confused, she tried to get up only to realize her hands were bound behind her back. The events in the cabin came rushing back to Louise and her eyes snapped open. Bolting upright she took in every detail of her surroundings. The iron bars before her were the first things she noticed; followed by gentle rocking of the room. A man scrambled up from a chair beyond the bars and ran out the door, showing the dark underbelly of a ship outside.<p>

Though her hands were bound, her legs were not. Carefully, Louise stood and looked around. Spikes of panic flared in her heart, and each one she squashed. Now was a time to think, not act. Looking to her left, Louise spotted Montmorency bound in the next cell over. "Montmorency!" She hissed. Reaching one foot thought the bars, Louise nudged her sleeping friend. "Wake up!"

Slowly but surely, the blond haired girl began to wake. Then, feeling her bindings, Montmorency shot up stiff as a board. Panic and anger filled her eyes. "The cheese!" She spat out.

"Indeed, the cheese." A smug voice sounded from the doorway. There stood Captain Alexander Dalzeel with a superior smirk plastered across his face. "Sleeping drafts may have a distinct taste, but aged cheese will drown out just about anything." The man strode in, shadowed by the guard who had left when Louise woke.

Louise was shocked, "But you-"

"Ate as well?" The man interrupted. "Yes well, imbibing your own poison is one of the best ways to get someone to drop their guard."

Montmorency's foot hit the iron bars of her cell with a resounding clang. "You bastard!" She yelled in anger.

While Louise would normally agree with her comrade, she had recently received information of the hazardous effect of negative emotions had on them. "Quiet Montmorency." Louise commanded, drawing a shocked stare from the girl.

Angered, Montmorency spat out, "Louise! We can take this guy!"

"Oh, I would refrain from anything to dangerous." Dalzeel cut in. His hand reached under his shirt and pulled on the chain around his neck. Pulling the necklace out, Louise spied just what hung on it. Two rings, each with a single gem; one dark gold and the other black with a hint of pink. The stunned face on Louise's face said it all. "Good, so these are your phylacteries. I found no other gems on you, but one cannot be too sure."

Once again Montmorency's foot hit her cell bars. "Give those back!" She screamed.

"Montmorency, _calm down._" Louise spoke with venom in her voice.

A slight bit of fear entered Montmorency's enraged eyes. Then, lowering her gaze, the girl exhaled and brought her emotions into control. The captain spoke up once more. "Well, this is nice. Usually prisoners tend to be far less cooperative. Now, I'll be frank. You try anything, I break these and collect on your dead bounty. You be good? I get to collect a higher reward and you get to live at least all the way back to Romalia. Maybe even escape on the way." The man laid out his offer with the most pleasant of voices. It was sickening.

Still, Louise needed every advantage she could create. If he wanted to talk, let him talk. "Did you ever plan on going to Saxe-Gotha, or was it all a ruse?"

Feigning surprise, the captain spoke graciously, "You overestimate my skills. I never knew you would come to me seeking passage. Honestly, I just had my man track you from the inn to make sure you weren't with the guard. When he learned your interesting identities I went from there." Then the man bowed with a flourish of his cap. "And I did finish my end of the bargain. We are over Saxe-Gotha as we speak. I wouldn't do business with the church anywhere but on my own turf. I should think so." With his speech done, the man turned to make his leave. "Now, get some rest, the church will arrive in the morn to retrieve you and you'll have a long journey ahead of you then."

The captain made his exit, leaving only the lone guard behind. The man shrunk under Louise's gaze. Dismissing the man, Louise turned to Montmorency. While obviously annoyed, the girl looked to understand Louise's harsh treatment. There was no hostility directed toward Louise, only frustration. Louise caught the girl's eye and received a questioning look in return. Louise rolled her eyes. Blockhead, they still had one card left to play. _"Familiar, you there?"_

_"Present."_

Montmorency's eyes shot open in surprise and her thoughts immediately filled Louise mind._ "I could kiss you Kyuubey!"_

_"Please refrain from that. Alternatively, try not to get kidnapped again."_ Louise was beginning to associate that exact same tone with both great despair, and shining hope. Truly, it needed to learn to adjust its tone; emotions or not.

Still, Louise needed information. Just like her negative emotions, she pushed down her growing hope and focused on the task at hand. _"Can you get us free? Where are you?"_

There was a moment of silence, and Louise wondered if her familiar had moved out of range. "_The captain has you strapped around his neck. I'll have to wait until he sleeps before retrieving them. I will stay in his cabin until I have a chance._"

Montmorency shot Louise an uncertain look. Louise returned it with the best comforting smile she could manage. It was only a small hope, but it was all they had. Funny, Louise thought, they were banking everything on the Kyuubey. Funny... that was one way of putting it.

* * *

><p>Night fell over Albion, casting its dark shadow over the drifting sloop. While two girls tried to rest as best they could with bound wrists on wooden planks for a mattress, a deceiving captain made his way toward his cabin. Dalzeel was a pretty happy man, all things considered. He had captured two liches without incident and would be receiving a tidy bounty in the morning. The fact that the girls ended up having even more gold then they already paid was just icing on the cake. Still, there was still the deal with the church tomorrow. Theoretically, the church seemed like the type to not renege on a deal, but he had to be careful anyways. Just in case, he had a Reconquista flag ready to fly. A military port wasn't far, and it would be easy to have any Romalian vessels shot down after a brief chase.<p>

Satisfied with his planning, the captain lay down on his bed. It was strangely hard to sleep. He kept getting an anxious feeling, like someone was watching him. Shaking it off, Dalzeel put his mind at ease. He was getting too worked up over tomorrow's deal.

It took some time, but the man eventually fell sound asleep, never noticing the two red eyes watching him from his dining table. Once the captain began to show the proper signs of deep human sleep, the watcher began to move. The white shape dropped from the table without making a sound and plodded over to the bed as a ghost. Only the gentle creaking of the chip's planks could be heard as the Kyuubey hopped onto the bed. With careful precision, the Kyuubey leaned forward until its head was but an inch from the man's chest. Upon the man's hairy chest lay the Kyuubey's quarry.

It opened its mouth only to stop as the human before it murmured in its sleep. Not waking, simply adjusting. Confirming that the human would not rouse, the Kyuubey leaned in and closed its mouth around the silver chain. One small nip later and the chain lay in two. After that, two small gulps and the Kyuubey had achieved its goal.

Now, to return the two girls to their bodies.

* * *

><p>Louise sat up for the thousandth time. Finding a comfortable resting position with her arms bound was proving to be far more difficult than she imagined. Sensing someone's eyes, she sent a glare over to the guard that nearly sent the nervous man tumbling.<p>

With an exasperated sigh, Louise rolled her eyes. The captain had apparently informed his crew of just what they were holding captive, and the guard was not exactly breaking any stereotypes about superstitious sailors. The man nearly fainted when something collided with the door to the brig with a loud thump. Louise herself started, but more for hope than for fear. Surely that would be the Kyuubey.

The guard slowly walked over to the door, happy to momentarily be further away from the liches. Yet, he could only suppress a shudder when he opened the door to find nothing. "Probably one of the guys..." He convinced himself as he re-latched the door. He may have drawn the short straw on guard duty, but that didn't mean he was going to give in to his crewmates' teasing.

When the man sat himself once more upon the stool, he found the pink haired lich watching him. Then, without a word between them, the blonde haired one rose as well and turned to him. Founder, they looked like little girls but they were _so damn creepy_.

He was just about to tell them off when a sharp pain lanced up his arm. Jerking his hand up, the guard found a small bite mark. "How the..." was all he said before he blacked out.

The Kyuubey, having nullified the guard, retrieved his keys and plodded over to the cells. _"Familiar,"_ Louise was the first to speak up, _"Took you long enough."_

Dropping the keys inside the cell, the Kyuubey responded same as always. _"I performed as quickly as possible with an acceptable expected success rate."_ With a flick of its tail, the Kyuubey walked around the sitting Louise and began to eat into her rope bindings. _"There is less than an hour until morning. I have located your possessions but you will need to hurry if you plan to reclaim them."_

Montmorency watched while the Kyuubey ate through Louise's bindings with surprising efficiency. She breathed a sigh of relief. Truly, she had been skeptical that the little beast would be able to pull the rescue off. Yet, there was one thing bugging her. _"Not that I am not thankful for your help, but did you manage to get our soul gems?"_

With a snap, Louise pulled the last of her bindings apart. The pink haired girl wasted no time retrieving the keys and going to work finding the one that fit her cell. With another brisk trot, the Kyuubey slipped between the cell bars and went to work on Montmorency's bindings. _"I have retrieved you, now hold still."_

The lock on Louise's door made a satisfying click as Louise turned the correct key. Wasting no time, Louise moved to Montmorency's cell and unlocked it as well just as the Kyuubey finished its work. With a snap, the rope fell to the floor and Montmorency idly rubbed her sore wrists. Louise looked down on her familiar. Even though it had done much to earn her ire, it had helped them as it had promised. _"Thanks, I suppose,"_ was the best she could manage.

Not bothering to reply, the Kyuubey looked to Montmorency's wrists before bowing its head to the ground. Louise almost asked what it was up to when the chime of metal clinking sounded from below it. "Don't tell me..." Montmorency's voice sounded from where she sat. Sure enough, two small rings sat below the Kyuubey. "This is so gross." With a grimace, Montmorency retrieved her slightly wet soul gem and placed it on her finger.

_"Make sure to keep quiet."_ Louise reprimanded her friend as she retrieved her own soul gem. Rubbing the ring on her sleeve first to clear it of saliva, Louise inspected it for any damage. Finding none, Louise replaced it on her finger. Rather than stew on how gross the situation was, Louise focused on the current task. _"You said you had found our possessions."_

With a quick nod, the Kyuubey responded. _"Yes, knowing you would retrieve them, I made sure to locate them before delivering you. Besides, I needed Montmorency's sleeping draft to disable the guard."_

Montmorency raised an eyebrow. She had just assumed the Kyuubey had some sort of poisonous bite. _"How far?"_

Turning its gaze to Montmorency, the Kyuubey flicked its tail once more. _"Not far, the captain locked them in a storage room on the opposite end of the ship."_

It made sense, Louise thought. While their money had likely been taken, the captain wouldn't want the church finding their wands and potions. If the church took them as evidence, he couldn't sell them, after all. _"Take us there,"_ Louise commanded.

Keeping their footfalls light, the two girls followed the Kyuubey to the brig door and opened it slowly. Only the faintest light emanated throughout the below decks. Even the little light from the moon the deck prism spread was enough for Louise to make out the sleeping shapes of the crew. Louise almost froze in the doorway, but the Kyuubey strode forward without a moment's hesitation. Not to be left behind, Louise followed after her familiar with Montmorency trailing behind.

The three weaved through the bunks filled with sleeping crew. Despite her efforts to remain silent, every footfall sounded like a rockslide to Louise. Each man grumbling in his sleep caused her heart to jump with worry. They would be caught, this would fail! Louise clamped down again as frivolous thoughts filled her mind. She hadn't come so far just to fail from fear alone.

When the three finally left the crew behind and turned through an open door, Louise thanked Brimir with a silent prayer. Barely a click was heard when Montmorency slowly closed the door behind them. With the door closed, the room plunged into darkness for a brief moment. Then, a soft gold light filled the room, emanating from Montmorency's ring. Louise bit her lip, repressing the urge to stop Montmorency. Trying to convince Montmorency to not even use such a small amount would take longer than just finding their wands.

With the room lit, Louise got a good look at it. It seemed normal enough for a storage room. Crates and barrels with no markings that Louise understood were stacked in rows. Again the Kyuubey trotted forward without a word. As silently as she could, Louise followed behind as they turned down one of the rows. _"Here,"_ the Kyuubey informed them, stopping before a toppled barrel.

Wasting no time, Montmorency sprung forward and reached into the barrel. With surprising urgency the girl retrieved a familiar bag. "Robin?" Montmorency whispered aloud. Louise's eyes widened. Of course the girl would be worried for her familiar. The frog so much spent of its time in the bag or in Montmorency's cloak that Louise forgot about it, much to her shame. A light ribbit sounded from within the bag, drawing a relieved sigh from Montmorency as she retrieved her familiar. "I'm sorry. I know I'm always leaving you behind, but this time was an accident, I swear." The frog once again ribbited from within Montmorency's hand.

Whatever that meant, Louise had no idea. Instead she focused on searching through the bag. Their remaining food, clothing, potions, even their wands remained there. Yet as she expected, their money had been looted. At least the captain hadn't had much time to sort through the rest, Louise told herself.

Handing Montmorency's wand and pouch of potions to her, Louise repacked the rest of their belongings as best she could. Rifling through her potions, Montmorency found an uncorked, empty vial. _"Did you have to use all of it? There was enough in here for twenty guards."_ She complained, looking down to the Kyuubey.

The familiar only tilted its head to the side. _"I am not meant for complex manual operations."_ Louise rolled her eyes. No doubt that was Kyuubey speak for, 'Do I look like I have opposable thumbs?'

Strapping the bag over her shoulder, Louise recited the chant for the 'light' spell. Soon enough, a heat-less ember emanated from her wand tip. Catching her cue, Montmorency let her own light fade. _"So what now, do we jump and levitate?"_

Louise shook her head after a moment's thought. "_No, we need to get our money back or we'll just end up starving."_ From Montmorency's fidgeting, Louise could guess her thoughts. _"We have no choice. Running away from the church will only help us for now, but we have to think ahead."_ Though Montmorency nodded, Louise couldn't help but second guess herself. Logically, retrieving their money was the right choice. However, that didn't mean the thought of approaching church paladins didn't worry her.

Those worried thoughts were scattered at the sound of a piercing whistle. Almost immediately frantic shouting began to fill the ship._ "They know we escaped."_ Montmorency hissed.

Focusing on her goal, Louise grabbed Montmorency's shoulder to steady the girl. _"That doesn't change the plan."_ Turning to the Kyuubey, Louise asked. _"You searched the ship; can you take us below the captain's cabin?"_

The Kyuubey did not respond, however. The door to the storage room slammed open and cut the familiar off. Luckily the fright caused Louise to release her spell in time. Footfalls sounded along the rows as a sailor jogged down them, checking for the escaped liches. Yet, arriving at the last row, he found nothing. "All clear!" The man called before rushing back out the door.

Once the sound of the door closing reached their ears, Montmorency and Louise slowly pushed themselves out from between the barrels. _"That was close."_ Montmorency let her breath out. Sometimes it was useful to be small, she decided.

Louise herself rubbed her hands. Hauling the barrel up in front of them hadn't given her any splinters it seemed, a small grace. _"The captain's cabin is directly above the room next to this one."_ The Kyuubey responded without bothering to comment on the recent excitement. Louise followed her familiar's gaze over to the far right wall.

Standing up next to Louise, Montmorency voiced her worry. _"What are you planning, Louise?"_

Striding over to the wall, Louise gripped her wand. _"It's not like we can just walk through the decks."_ Realizing her friend's intent, Montmorency gripped her won wand in preparation. With a quick incantation, Louise whispered, "Flame Lance." A beam of white hot fire extended from her outstretched wand and cut into the wall. Instantly flames began to crawl along the wood. Louise wasted no time; one quick movement later and a large circle was cut through the wooden wall.

"Extinguish." Montmorency's voice sounded as the girl finished her own spell. As quickly as they had been brought to life, Louise's remaining flames were smothered by conjured water.

Stepping through the leftover smoke, Louise found herself in a new room filled with what she assumed were spare parts from the large amounts of rope. "l- l- l- lich!" A man stammered out from where he stood frozen in fear near the door.

Fine, Louise decided, if the superstitious sailors wanted to fear her then she would use that to her advantage. Flicking her wrist up, Louise spoke with the most menacing voice she could muster. "Don't move, don't speak, don't even think, or I will consume your soul." The man could barely nod. Suppressing the urge to pinch her nose, Louise turned to her familiar.

Not needing to be ordered, the Kyuubey dashed forward a few steps and looked upward. _"Here."_

Still keeping an eye on the frozen man Louise recited the spell for 'Flame Lance' one more time. As before, she cut a hole in the wood before her as easily as a hot knife through butter, though this time she had to be careful to sidestep the hunk of wood that fell when she finished. On cue, Montmorency doused the remaining flames. The blonde girl looked over at the frozen sailor while Louise levitated herself upward. "Boo!" The color drained from the man's face and such a look of terror filled him that Montmorency almost felt bad teasing him. Almost. He was part of the crew that had sought to sell them out after all.

Once Louise finished, Montmorency levitated herself up and into the empty captain's cabin. Sure enough, as soon as they left the sound of a tumbling man and a door being slammed open could be heard. "Liches!" The sailor screamed, rushing toward his comrades.

Louise wasted no time searching through the room. _"We need to find the captain's safe. It won't be long before they figure out what room we climbed into."_ Following suit, Montmorency went to work pulling paintings off of the wall.

The second painting had exactly what they were looking for. _"Louise, a safe!"_ At her word, Louise rushed over and casted 'Flame Lance' for a third time; this time sufficiently smaller. The metal of the safe was much harder to cut through, but nothing Louise couldn't handle. The real problem was cutting carefully without looking direct at the brilliantly bright melting metal.

With a jerk, Louise cleared the metal of the safe and cut a small way into the wall when the resistance disappeared. Montmorency wasted no time in dousing the flames and cooling the glowing metal. Carefully, Louise lightly tapped the handle of the safe. Finding it cool enough to touch, she gripped it and pulled the door wide. Inside was an assortment of cheap valuables and a half empty purse. _"This is it?"_ Montmorency asked from behind, aghast.

Scooping the various trinkets into the purse, Louise responded over her shoulder._ "This is most likely the decoy safe. No telling where the captain keeps the real valuables. The real safe might not even be in the cabin."_ Once she was finished, Louise stuffed the purse into their bag. _"Still, it's enough to get by for a while, we can go now."_ Montmorency was not about to complain about that. The sooner they put this ship behind them the better.

Just as Louise slung the bag back over her shoulder, the door to the cabin swung inward with a mighty slam. Morning light flooded the room as Captain Dalzeel's pistol swung upward, leveling on the two girls. Yet he had no time to aim properly as the powder in the barrel ignited. The misfire shredded the pistol back from front. "Bloody Hell!" The man cried, gripping his bleeding hand.

Wand still raised, Louise made for the door with Montmorency in tow. "I should kill you where you stand." The captain eyed the wand with worry. "However, I am more interested in just leaving this ship behind." The captain took one step back, then another. Louise paid him no mind, instead she looked past him, toward the collected sailors. Several had raised firearms yet they could not fire without risk of hitting their captain. "Tell them to drop their weapons." Louise commanded.

Captain Dalzeel hesitated for a moment. From the way he eyed her wand, he must have been thinking of chancing it. A cold glare from Louise was all it took to tip the balance. "We've been bested boys. Drop them and we all live to sail another day." Slowly, the sailors began to lower their weapons. Confident, Louise stepped outside and edged toward the railing of the ship.

Whether it was pure luck, inborn instinct, or her recently acquired fighting experience Louise did not know. However, she did not ignore the warning signal that flared to life as all the sailors on the deck shifted their gaze upward and beyond her. Jumping to her left, Louise barely cleared the rows of teeth that closed around where she had just been. Whirling, Louise was greeted with a massive wind dragon perched upon captain's cabin. Even more frightening than the dragon, was the man perched upon its back. Cardinal Tomas de Torquemada locked eyes with Louise before turning his gaze to the captain. "You are very lucky I decided to fly ahead Captain. I'll be taking the prisoners into custody now."

Louise was not about to stick around. Grabbing Montmorency, she bolted for the railing. The roar of water rapids assaulted her ears just as she pulled Montmorency and herself over the edge of the boat. Wood shattered behind them as a stream of water crushed through the wooden railing. Whirling in free fall, Louise managed to glimpse a forest below them. "Levitate at the last moment!" She called out over the wind to Montmorency, no longer bothering with the mental connection. On that thought, Louise glanced over her shoulder to see the Kyuubey gripping on to her pack for dear life.

Managing to spin once again, Louise looked back up toward the ship. Like some demonic serpent, the dragon came diving over the side of the ship. Wings folded, the beast pelted toward the two falling girls. Montmorency was the first to react. Wand out, she threw a stream of water upward toward the beast. Yet even before the stream could impact it, the water darted away; diverted by the cardinal.

Finishing her own incantation, Louise let loose the biggest fireball she could manage. A globe of fire larger than even the dragon itself sailed upward. Yet it too proved ineffective as a spear of water tunneled through it; dissipating the fire before it could even slow the diving dragon. Louise was all too aware that the dragon was slowly gaining on them. She needed to make it dodge. To make it open those damned wings.

Suddenly, the idea struck her. Colbert had said fire behaved like a snake through the grass. She could guide the fire around any defenses! Louise pulled her magic to her. Words of power flew from her lips, lost in the howling winds. Yet before she could finish, a gout of water rushed forth from the cardinal's wand. Then, just before it hit her, the water was pushed aside by another stream courtesy of Montmorency. For a brief moment, Louise looked to Montmorency with silent thanks.

Then that brief moment was over and Louise finished her chant. "Fire Stream!" A thin lance of fluid flame raced upward. Just as before the cardinal summoned water to meet Louise's fire. Yet this time the shield was ignored. Louise's fire snaked sideways and around the wall of water before once again continuing toward the dragon and rider. With no time for another shield, the cardinal pulled back on his mount's reigns. The mighty dragon opened its wings, and with a jerk it halted its fall. Her enemy shooting up and away, Louise rolled back toward the ground, only to find the trees racing to meet her. Words fled her lips in one garbled incantation, but it was enough.

"Levitation!" Louise and Montmorency called out in unison. The two girls had barely lost enough speed by the time they hit the trees. Branches scraped their sides and bruised their limbs as the two fell into the forest. Then, with a mighty thump, the two girls hit the ground.

Still only for a moment, the two girls groaned and pulled themselves up. "We need to move." Louise commanded herself as much as Montmorency.

Planting her feet, Montmorency raised herself and nodded her head. "That way is deeper into the forest." She pointed beyond Louise. "I saw while we fell."

With a nod, Louise began to run with Montmorency through the trees. With the weak morning light blocked mostly by the trees, the two could only just see. Yet neither would risk a light with the cardinal above. With each footfall they became surer, more confident in their escape. Countless trees whipped past them as they sprinted through the forest. When she could move no longer, Louise stopped to catch her breath. Montmorency stopped beside her and gulped down air greedily. Silently, Louise chided herself. They had been sprinting full out, not exactly the most efficient way of putting ground behind them. Turning to Montmorency, she gasped out between breaths. "Do you think we lost hi-"

Montmorency dived at Louise, tackling her beyond the claws of the dragon as it crashed through the trees. Wind kicked up dust around them as the beast glided just overhead and hit the ground skidding. From where the two lay on the ground, Louise could make out the rider atop the dragon as it turned to meet them. Though it had skid nearly thirty yards from them, Louise knew a dragon could cover than in an instant, something she was surprised it didn't do immediately. Instead, the cardinal spoke with a grave voice. "I will give you one chance to turn yourselves in. Do so and I will urge the Pope to bless you before your execution so you might meet Brimir in the afterlife."

Fear took Louise's heart against all her efforts to suppress it. There was no escaping this man, and if she transformed, that would be the end of it. She could barely hold back the transformation as it she was now. If she was forced to fight a square class mage, she would surely become a witch. Then again, that might be her only choice. If she and Montmorency defeated the cardinal and she became a witch, then Montmorency could kill her and live on. Louise's finger traced her fading soul gem. It was the only way one of them was getting out of this. Even if she would die, she would die for her friend.

Montmorency's hand grasped Louise's. The two girls locked eyes and searched each other's souls. Louise looked at her friend and tried to burn that image into her mind. Closing her eyes, Louise focused on that image and focused on the ring on her finger. _Good bye._

Louise's eyes shot open as her ring was wrenched from her finger. In one motion, Montmorency stood and slipped her friend's soul gem upon her own finger. "That conversation you had with Kyuubey. I may have only heard your half, but I know enough that you can't transform again." Montmorency's hand traced the two soul gems upon her other. "We both get out of this or neither of us does. You don't get to just give up and sacrifice yourself." Anger and steel filled Montmorency's voice as she held her hand before her. Then, in an explosion of golden light, Montmorency once more transformed to protect her friend. "This time, just sit against that tree and watch the show." No words escaped Louise's mouth. What could she say to stop her friend? A grin splayed across Montmorency's face. Then, she leapt into action.

Hammer twirling, Montmorency darted across the forest floor and closed on the dragon before her. Planting her foot, Montmorency twirled out of the way of a blast of water as if dancing. Again water lanced at her and again she dodged, this time flipping up and over the water. Landing before the mighty dragon, Montmorency flicked her hammer into the dragon's head as it tried to bite her. The crack of hammer on dragon skull was enough to stun the beast momentarily. Equally confused by a little creature striking so strongly as by its minor concussion, the dragon grew very angry.

With fluid, serpentine motion, the dragon darted backward and forward, trying to bite the human before it. Yet each time that silver hammer came up and struck it once more. Even the dragon's master could not hit the girl with his magic. Each stream was nimbly sidestepped. Angry at its inability to kill the puny opponent, the dragon roared and charged forward.

She had been waiting for this moment. A single vial flew from Montmorency's hand. Then with another spin of her hammer, Montmorency struck the dragon's lower jaw, forcing it closed around the potion. The muffled sound of breaking glass signaled Montmorency to leap backward, clearing yet another gout of water.

For a moment, the dragon and rider held off, not perusing their prey. Then the dragon gagged. Confused the cardinal looked down. What was wrong? Then the dragon gagged again, toppling forward. Poison. The cardinal leapt from his dragon as soon as he realized it. His feet hadn't even touched the ground when the massive dragon began convulsing. The beast wretched itself back and forth for barely a moment before going deathly still. "You did good, old friend." Tomas offered his parting words and turned to the waiting Montmorency. "That was clever, I'll give you that. Not many poisons affect dragons." As he spoke, the cardinal began to circle around his dead dragon.

Following his movements, Montmorency moved to place herself in between the cardinal and Louise. "Paralyzing draft." She spoke with mock cordiality. "Concentrated, it works on just about anything." No sooner had she spoken then Montmorency dashed forward, intent on catching her opponent off guard. Hammer met staff as the cardinal brought his own polearm over his head. The crack of metal on metal filled the forest and the sheer force of the blow crushed the ground beneath the cardinal's feet. Yet the man held firm, his muscles bulging with power.

With a surge of strength, the cardinal threw Montmorency off and called his magic to the tip of his staff. Water formed a fluid axe edge. It was the cardinal's turn to attack. The massive man charged at Montmorency and swung his axe. The girl was nearly a third his size yet when axe met hammer she held firm. Once again the forest was disturbed by the ringing of metal.

The two broke apart and struck again. Then again. Each polearm blurred as the two combatants launched strike after strike at each other. Hammer blow after blow was diverted or stopped by the cardinal's axe. Montmorency danced around both giving and taking ground as she evaded and parried the axe strike seeking her head.

Hopping upward, Montmorency avoided being bisected by the cardinal's slash. With a flip, she brought her own hammer toward the man's head. Rather than block yet again, the cardinal leaned backward. Sheer wind of the hammer flung specks of sweat from his face. Launching his own attack, the cardinal's axe lanced upward toward the airborne girl. With no ground to dance on, Montmorency brought her hammer before her and blocked the blade that sought her.

With a mighty clash, Montmorency was launched across the forest toward an oak. Twirling midair, Montmorency planted her feet upon the oak's trunk and called forth her power. The seams of her hammer opened and released fading steam as the cogs inside began to spin. Sensing something dangerous, the cardinal began to chant. Then, Montmorency released her coiling muscles and lanced across the forest floor like an arrow. Steam raced out the back of Montmorency's hammer, propelling the great weapon forward. The blade of water upon the cardinal's staff began to churn with barely compresses power.

"DERNIERE VAPEUR!"

"TORRENT AXE!"

Two voices called out their attacks as the cardinal met the steam propelled hammer with his own magnified axe. The resounding clash sounded throughout the forest, scattering hundreds of birds into the skies. Amidst the clearing steam, Montmorency struck out blindly. Yet when her hammer hit nothing, she briefly wondered if she had won.

The force of her swing cleared the steam, showing no sign of the cardinal. Eyes widening, Montmorency looked up in time to see the falling cardinal stab downward. However, his target was not Montmorency. Still mid dodge, Montmorency saw his axe head form into a trident and strike her hammer, trapping the weapon to the ground between its prongs. In the same motion, the cardinal's leg lashed out. Montmorency barely had time to abandon her hammer and dodge. Bringing her arm up, she shoved the kick to the side and spun forward with a kick of her own.

Montmorency felt the satisfying crunch of a breaking rib as her kick impacted the man's side. Her expanding grin halted however as the cardinal's arm trapped her leg to his chest. Unable to dodge, Montmorency could only raise her arms in defense as the cardinal abandoned his trident and delivered a mighty punch to her face. Blow after blow rained upon her, breaking through her guard with little effort. Dazed, Montmorency barely felt the massive kick that sent her flying across the forest floor.

The wind was forced from Montmorency's lungs as her back impacted the tree where she left Louise. Barely conscious, Montmorency saw Louise standing before her. The girl had not been sitting idly by during the fight, she had been chanting. "Flame River!" A swirling stream of fire nearly twice as tall as Louise erupted from her wand. The very ground was scorched by the river of fire as it burned toward the cardinal. The man was not to be stopped however. Diving for his staff, he brought it up and unleashed a spell of his own, water formed before him and cut into the approaching fire. When the fire had passed the cardinal dropped his shield to be met with Louise. The girl had followed her spell close behind and moved in. "Flame Lance!" A white hot blade of fire extended from Louise's wand. The cardinal would have no time to chant another shield! This was it!

Yet when Louise's blade of fire met the cardinal's flesh, water leapt from his very skin to shield him. Stunned, Louise could only stare the trail of water along where she should have cut the man. In one movement his staff hipped up and into her wrist sending her wand flying. Before Louise could even think to dodge, the cardinal's fist met her stomach. Crushing her remaining strength and launching her back into the tree she had left.

With a thump, Louise landed on the ground. Dimly aware, she recognized Montmorency lying next to her. Blood dribbled through the girl's blonde hair, her eyes were shut, and she had reverted to normal. Unconscious, Louise realized. That meant she needed to get up. She needed to protect Montmorency. Planting a hand, Louise pushed with all her might; and gained no ground.

She had no strength to raise herself, let alone fight the cardinal wandless. Vaguely, she could hear the man panting. Glancing toward him, Louise could make out the man looking around for Montmorency's hammer before turning back to them.

Louise looked back to Montmorency, to the two dim gems upon her hand. If she could just take her soul gem then... Then what? Kill the cardinal and become a witch? Even if Montmorency could manage another transformation, an unconscious girl could not stop a monster. Louise's hand closed around Montmorency's. Why even try? They were both going to die here, far from home, far from anyone they loved. Pain and despair lanced into Louise's heart. This time, she did not bother to stop it. Let the man come, she was tired. She was done. Louise closed her eyes. Silence filled the forest and a deep darkness fell over Louise. She clenched her eyes tighter. Would she become a witch, or would she die? She didn't care anymore.

Then... nothing.

"Boy, stand aside." The cardinal's voice sounded not from above her, but from beyond. Louise's eyes snapped open to find a new stranger standing in front of her. A dark brown cloak rested across the stranger's body. A sword peaked out over his shoulder from beneath the cloak, but the figure had not drawn it. Instead he stood with one foot back, leveling a musket at the cardinal.

Cardinal Tomas de Torquemada did not move, yet he showed no fear to the boy blocking his way. "I'm fine right here. Why don't you leave this forest so I don't have to shoot you?" From his voice and stature, Louise guessed the boy was around her age. Briefly, she wondered if he was related to Siesta, as his unruly hair shared her inky black color. Though she discarded it, under his cloak she could see strange clothing. Simple in color, but everything from his jacket to his shoes was made from different, odd materials. When the cardinal took a step forward the boy nearly shouted. "One more and I shoot, old man!" There was a hint of fear, but conviction overwhelmed it.

Holding up a hand, the cardinal spoke in a calming but stern voice. "Boy, I know you are trying to do the right thing, but despite appearances, those are liches." The cardinal made no move to close in, instead he just tried to calm the boy. "They are evil. You give them a chance and they will kill hundreds, thousands."

"You serious, old man?" The boy turned and gave Louise a brief look of confusion. Louise's breath hitched. Would anyone turn against them? She was not a lich, she was Louise Valliere! It was unfair! Even as the boy spoke, Louise began to have trouble hearing him, she could only just make out his words. "Look, I know no one thinks they are the bad guy, but you are _attacking_ two little girls in the middle of a dark forest! It does not get more clear cut than that!"

Apparently the cardinal was done playing nice. He took a step forward and with a deep, stern voice he commanded, "Boy-"

The sound of musket fire greeted Louise's ears and for once it was not pointed at her. Smoke billowed from the boy's musket and the cardinal's hand raced to his chest, stumbling back a step as he did. Silence permeated to forest, broken only by the cardinal himself. "That hurt boy." Digging his finger into his chest, the cardinal pulled a small metal ball from his flesh. Barely a trickle of blood left the wound.

The boy's musket hit the ground, yet rather that flee, he had drawn a wheel-lock pistol and had rested it across his left arm, once again aiming at the cardinal. Even more surprising than the boy's courage was the new voice that sounded from his sword of all places. "Kid, he's using magic to strengthen his body."

Even the cardinal was a bit surprised by the new voice. "Enchanted sword..." He murmured, apparently intrigued. "Listen to your sword boy, if a musket cannot pierce me, your pistol will not. Now just _step aside_."

Slowly, the boy lowered his pistol. Of course he would have to step aside, Louise realized. One boy could not stop the cardinal. Then, the boy's hand shot up to his sword and drew it. "If a bullet is too weak, I still have this."

The eyebrows of the cardinal rose. The boy had begun to shake with fear, but he was not backing down. Still, the sword was enchanted, it would be important to not even get one cut. "Kid!" The sword called out angrily. "I know what you're planning! Just because you're a useless one-shot piece of ammunition doesn't mean I am!"

Against the sword's wishes, the boy hurled the blade with all his might. "Sorry Derf!" Even as the cardinal's eyes widened with surprise, he made no move to dodge. The sword did not even reach him. Instead, the sword hit the ground and stuck blade first nearly three paces before him. Having enough with the boys games, the cardinal strode forward. If he had to get a little rough so be it. Founder knows he had been patient enough. "Now!" The boy called out, raising his pistol once more. What did he think this was going to accompl-

The cardinal's train of though was cut off when the water that formed his trident head was literally sucked away. Steam fled his skin and chased the water into the sword. "What the?"

Again the sound of gunfire filled the forest, and this time a pained cry accompanied it. The cardinal could only look down in surprise at the blood spouting from the hole in his chest. A roar sounded from the boy as he charged toward the stumbling cardinal, hunting dagger drawn.

No! The cardinal of the paladins would not die so easily! His staff whipped up to meet the boy, catching him in the shoulder and forcing him to the side. His dagger clattered to the ground, and yet the boy did not stop. His hands found his thrown sword and he spun on the still reeling cardinal. Once more he roared and this time his blade found purchase.

With one last breath, the cardinal looked into the eyes of his killer. It was not a monster. Not a lich. Not an assassin. Not even an up and coming warrior seeking fame. It was some unknown kid he had underestimated. Then, the cardinal lived no more.

His opponent dead, the boy turned to the two girls he had protected. "You alright?" While he didn't expect the blonde to reply, he was surprised to get no response from the clearly awake pink haired girl. She laid there, eyes unfocused, holding a black gem. The boy's head snapped back to the gem as it pulsed once with a dark, sickly blackness. "Hey, you okay?"

"She is ending." A high pitched voice filled the boy's head. His head snapped around, searching for the voice and finding no source. He was about to question the voice, but he was cut off. "Quickly, retrieve the pendant from the slain man."

Though he was not sure why, the boy trusted the voice and rushed to the large cardinal. With a yank, he removed the gold pendant from the dead man's neck. "Now what?" He called out to the invisible voice.

The voice sounded within the boy's head as he moved to the now convulsing girl's side. "Press the black gem to hers."

Quickly finding the black gem on the pendant, the boy grasped the girl's wrist and held her still. Only now did he hear her talk through pained breaths. "Ha- ha- Even the void cannot save me." Then, with the faintest of clinks, the boy touched black gem to black gem. The effect was instantaneous. The girl stopped convulsing and lay still. Heavy breaths escaped her as she stared with wonder at the gem in her hand. "How…?" She whispered with amazement.

Slowly but surely, the deep blackness that enveloped the girl's gem fled into the pendant until not a speck remained. The gem shined with the brightest of pinks. The boy's breath was taken away, and then knocked from his lungs as he was shoved aside. Louise wasted no time pressing the void stone on the pendant to Montmorency's ring. Just as before, the darkness was drained from the gem and sealed within the void stone. Louise moved her soul gem behind Montmorency's head and slowly let loose a small amount of her power. She could feel the flesh slowly knit itself back together. Montmorency would probably be fine, but Louise was not about to risk a head injury.

Once she had finished healing Montmorency, Louise brought her soul gem back to the void stone and pressed it once again to the black gem. Still unbelieving, Louise watched a single speck of blackness leave her shining soul gem. It was... amazing. "You okay?" A confused voice sounded from behind Louise.

Louise whirled around, having almost forgot her savior. The boy had risen and was dusting himself off. Rising herself, Louise bowed as years of etiquette training took over. "Thank you! I'm so sorry for shoving you!"

The boy before her rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed by the whole ordeal. "I couldn't just leave you alone, could I?"

It was surreal. Just when everything had seemed lost, when she had given up hope, someone had shown up to help her. Silently, Louise thanked Brimir for looking out for her. Finally getting a good look at the boy, Louise confirmed her idea that he was very foreign. Not only his clothing and hair, but his face was odd as well. She _almost_ thought him some derivative of a demon with his angular features and black hair. That would have been a laugh. A lich saved by a demon. "Er..." Louise began, still embarrassed with her rough treatment of him. "I'm Louise, what is your name?"

With a grand smile, the boy responded. "I'm Saito, Saito Hiraga. I know a safe place not too far from here. You can tell me all about whatever adventure brought you two here on the way."

With no reason to distrust this boy, Saito, he called himself, Louise allowed him to lift Montmorency onto his back and lead her deeper into the forest.

* * *

><p>Well, that should leave you with a few questions. If it isn't obvious, this is the end of act one. We are about a third of the way through the story, give or take.<p>

With the introduction of Saito I want to make one thing perfectly clear. There will be no pairing between him and Louise. In fact, I hate to use the term pairing at all as it implies some sort need for romantic interaction to validate the story. I am not against romance as plot or romance subplots in stories mind you; in fact there is a possibility of romance between characters in this story. Just I will not use the term pairing, and it won't be between Saito and Louise. First off is the fact that a relationship would have a very hard time flourishing between the two if they were not forced to be together with the master/familiar relationship. Also, Louise and Saito have such clashing personalities that such development would derail the plot.

As for why Saito is there in general? I thought long and hard about this point, worry not. His presence is well thought out and intentional for reasons I can't explain without spoilers.

Anyways, I expect the next chapter to take a bit longer to come out. I am revising my outline for better flow, so that might take some time.


	11. Chapter 11: Enemy of My Enemy

**Chapter 11: Enemy of My Enemy**

"Louise, for the last time, I am _fine_." Montmorency complained as Louise once again felt the other girl's head for any remaining injuries. "I've had worse wounds before, now let me up."

Not one to be deterred, Louise gripped Montmorency's head just enough to keep the girl from rising from the bedroll. "Last I checked, a wound is a wound. I am not taking any chances." Montmorency halfheartedly struggled, but gave up when Louise made no move to relent. Alone, Louise's doting would have been bothersome, but the presence of Saito made increased the embarrassment tenfold.

The boy in question was busy packing up his camp, if it could be called that. With only a small ring of stones for a burned out fire, a few cooking implements, and a sole bedroll, they had arrived the night before thoroughly unimpressed with his "safe place." Still, he had offered his bedroll to the two girls; an action that won over the suspicious Montmorency. The boy rubbed the back of his head, no doubt feeling the bump Montmorency had given him when she had awoken to find she was being carried by a stranger. While the boy had accepted her apologies, Montmorency was sure he was getting some smug revenge in her embarrassment. Finishing his packing, Saito turned to the girls with a wry smile. "I can see how you two could be mistaken for liches. Terrifying, the both of you."

"And I can see how you could be mistaken for a swordsman boy!" The enchanted sword, Derflinger called from its resting place against the trunk of a tree.

Saito froze at his sword's jab. Glaring over at the blade, he smirked devilishly and replied, "Well, I don't see how that could happen with me using such a crappy sword." Montmorency couldn't decide if the following slew of insults between the pair was humorous or just sad. She settled for a weak laugh.

Apparently satisfied, Louise released Montmorency's head. "It seems healed, just don't do anything strenuous." Montmorency quickly nodded; best to just agree with Louise and escape while her head was free. Louise ignored how Montmorency scooted herself out of arms reach and instead turned her attention over toward her familiar. The small Kyuubey sat at the edge of camp and for once was not watching them, but rather looking into the woods.

Louise had no time to wonder about her familiar, as Saito immediately broke her train of thought. "Could you move? I need to roll that up." Louise rose, turning her attention to the mystery that was Saito. She had told him about their false status as liches the previous night, yet he brushed it off like a silly story. Even the most even tempered of people should be wary about the idea of a lich. He had been more interested in their defense of Tarbes. It was nice for someone to focus on the positive things she had done, but still odd.

With a final tug, Saito fastened the bedroll to his bag. Finally packed, he slung his bag over his shoulder and retrieved Derflinger. "We should head out now. Westwood Village is a half a day's travel."

* * *

><p>Time passed as the three made their way through the woods. Idle conversation flitted amongst them as they grew more used to each other's company. "So, are you a hunter then?" Montmorency spoke up, eyeing the two rabbits dangling from the boy's pack.<p>

Placing his hand upon a tree, Saito spoke softly to himself for a moment, making sure he was on the right trail. Satisfied that he had found his landmark, the boy replied. "Nothing so official. I've only been hunting for a month and a half now. With winter almost here, game is getting scarce so I tried to go a ways out from the orphanage." The next words he muttered under his breath, obviously annoyed with a small haul. However, his poor mode was shaken quickly as a large building came into view.

The orphanage, Westwood Village as Saito had called it, was composed of a large log building with a smaller storage shed made from stone, most likely constructed by an earth mage by the looks of it. Children were strewn about the clearing engaged in various activities. A pair of girls no older than twelve was taking clothing down off a clothesline. One of them perked up and spotted the arriving group. "Hey everyone! Saito is back!" Louise was taken aback by the stampede of little feet as the children of Westwood Village rushed to meet their returned elder. Louise and Montmorency held back, not wanting to intrude as Saito greeted the children. Lifting one of the youngest up to his shoulders, he greeted them all with enthusiasm.

What looked to be the eldest boy, maybe thirteen, unhooked the rabbits from Saito's pack. "Is this all you caught? Matilda came back with a buck!"

Saito's head fell and his hand slapped his forehead in shame. "Ahg, she'll never let me hear the end of it!" His exaggerated distress elicited numerous giggles from the assembled children.

"Hey, Saito, who are your lady friends?" One of the children spoke up.

The child's question was answered, but not by Saito. "Louise Valliere and Montmorency Montmorency." It was a voice that both Louise and Montmorency knew well. In unison, they snapped their wands up toward the stone building where Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth stood in the doorway.

"Whoa! Hey!" Saito exclaimed, hurriedly setting the child he held down and placing himself between Fouquet and the girls' wands. "I don't know what's going on, but calm down! This is my good friend Matilda, you can trust her." For a second, Louise thought to make a break for it, but her resolve was broken when her gaze fell to the children crowding behind Saito and saw the fear and mistrust in their eyes.

After a moment's hesitation, Louise slowly lowered her wand. Saito had saved their lives; attacking Fouquet, or Matilda apparently, was probably not the best way to repay him. To her right, Montmorency sent her an incredulous look, but she relented as well, trusting Louise's judgment. "My apologies, it's just that Miss Matilda… looks like someone we know."

The tension in the air refused to dissipate despite the lowering of weapons. "Children, inside. Go clean your rooms." While Matilda's voice was stern, it was the voice of a parent chiding and lacked any real steel. The groans and complaints she received in turn finally took the tension from the air. "No buts. You can't expect Tiffania to do everything can you?" Matilda ignored the children's reluctant groans as they filed past her into the main building and kept her eyes on the newcomers. "Saito, a word." The young man jolted at the danger in her tone.

Leaving the girls at the tree line, Saito made his way over to Fouquet. "Listen, Matilda. I know we aren't supposed to-" Saito's words were cut off as Matilda's open palm impacted the side of his face. The boy stumbled to the side, nearly falling from the unexpected attack.

"_Foolish_ _boy!_" Matilda hissed; absolutely livid. "I _told_ you not to take in any stragglers. It's too dangerous." Despite her hushed voice, Matilda's anger carried her voice to Louise and Montmorency. Both girls stood by awkwardly; unsure of what to do.

Saito recovered and stood up straight. He held his hands out in a calming gesture. "I know, but I couldn't just leave them. Besides, the church was after them. So, enemy of my enemy-"

"Is not always your friend Saito." The boy was cut off as Matilda once again chastised him with steeled words. "Just because they are an enemy of the church, doesn't mean they can see past generations of hate." Louise's brow rose at that. She had thought Matilda was worried because of their previous altercation, but that wasn't exactly "generations of hate."

However, despite the danger in the tone of the older lady, Saito did not back down. "It doesn't mean they can't." He countered, "The church was after them. If I had just left them to wander around in the forest they could have been found." With each word, Saito grew more confident. "They needed help."

"And we help those in need. Right?" A gentle voice joined the group as a lady dressed in a plain green tunic and white sunhat exited the main building. If the stern Matilda was the "father" of the orphanage, then this woman was the mother. Blonde, curvaceous and feminine, her small, calm smile generated a kind and soft aura.

Matilda was the first to speak up. "Tiffania, I told you to stay inside." The woman's voice was strained and belied a hint of fear.

Turning to Matilida, Tiffania offered her smile to ease Matilda's worries. "Saito trusts them. There is only one way to find out if he is right." Apparently, that was enough to get Matilda to relent, though her exasperated sigh belied her hesitance with the matter. Tiffania turned to Louise and Montmorency, meeting their gaze with a weak, cautious smile. Nevertheless, any doubts Tiffania had were pushed aside as she spoke, "My sister Matilda and I run this orphanage with the help of Saito here. You are welcome to stay or leave; no one will harm you, whatever you decide. I am Tiffania Westwood, and I am a half-elf."

Quelling her fears, Tiffania reached up and removed her sunhat. The world stilled as Louise caught sight of Tiffania's ears. Larger than a human's by far, they hung out nearly half a foot from her head and ended in points. Elf. She was definitely an elf; an ancient enemy of mankind. Even now Louise remembered the maids at home telling her that if she misbehaved an elf would steal her away and eat her. As she grew older, childlike horror stories turned to stories of armies crushed beneath elves and their powerful, dangerous magic. They were heathens, enemies of Brimir himself. Tiffania must have recognized the fear that flitted into the two stunned girls' eyes. She shrank back slightly; one arm raised to her chest.

After a moment, Louise realized that this was exactly how she and Montmorency were treated; feared and hated without reason. The church declared them liches, enemies of Brimir. Yet were they not good people? Had Montmorency sought to steal the souls of children? Had she herself blasphemed against Brimir? The answer to all of these questions is no. Doing her best to quell her inborn fear, Louise offered her best smile. "Thank you. This is Montmorency Margarita la Fere de Montmorency and I am Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere. The church has declared us liches, and would have killed us had Saito not saved our lives." Louise's head fell in a deep bow, letting protocol help her to suppress her fear. Montmorency, evidently slower to quell her fear, jerked downward in a bow to join Louise. "We would stay, and seek to repay our debt." When Louise rose, she found cautious, hopeful eyes waiting for her. There was a brief pause, as elf and liches tried to quell their irrational fear in favor of offered kinship.

"Hah! I told you it would be okay!" Saito's boisterous call shattered the tension like a brick through stained glass.

His call was greeted with another smack from Matilda, creating a throbbing bump upon the boy's head. "Pah, I don't see what you're so happy about. I see you only brought back two rabbits." Saito froze as Matilda's words pierced his core. "_I_ on the other hand brought back the biggest buck you will ever see." Sweat started to form on Saito's brow. "What was the bet again? Washing the dishes by yourself for week?"

A rather unladylike snort escaped Montmorency has she tried and failed to hold back laughter. With the dam broken Louise and Tiffania joined in on the laughter, giggling their fears away.

* * *

><p><em>Thunk! <em>The impact of axe on stump sounded as Montmorency split another log. While not as strong as she was while transformed, Montmorency was still having an oddly easy time handling an axe meant for a full grown man. Night was falling in Westwood Village and the chores of the day were nearing completion. Louise herself had just finished helping Saito patch a leak in the roof. Well, more like hand him supplies, but it was still helping. Despite Saito's insistence that no repayment for his rescue was necessary, Matilda had taken Louise's offer and put them to work helping around the village. Something she was rather thankful for really. Freeloading while children worked around her was not something her noble spirit would abide.

Plus, it wasn't like they could leave yet. The cardinal had been ahead of his forces, not alone. Wandering around the forest was a good way to get caught. Better to wait out the search with those who knew the woods. Besides, it wasn't like they were endangering Westwood Village. The punishment for sheltering an elf was execution. If they were caught with liches as well, what would the church do, execute them twice?

Now that she had finished, Louise leaned against a tree and watched her friend display a hint of the supernatural strength her transformation had gifted her with. "Why did you help us?" Louise spoke to the empty grass around her. From evening shadows, two red eyes watched Montmorency. The Kyuubey made no reply. "I know you want the _data_ from me transforming into a witch. All you had to do was wait. Saito would not have known how to use the void stone."

"Grief Seed," the Kyuubey corrected. Louise did not argue with it; she would not be drawn off topic. Instead, she remained silent and waited for her familiar to answer. "You are correct. Monitoring you transforming into a witch would provide valuable data for optimizing energy creation." Neither party looked at each other, both continued to watch as Montmorency cleaved through firewood. "Logically, inaction was the correct course." The Kyuubey began after a moment. "However, there was… The best description would be interference."

Louise glanced over at her familiar, raising an eyebrow. That was the first time she had heard her familiar struggle to describe something. Usually it was cryptic or overly complex, but never stumped. "In that moment, the interference adjusted top priority to delaying your transformation." The Kyuubey had Louise's full attention now. Looking down at her familiar, she found it staring back up at her only to look away as soon their eyes met. "It is not as if you have permanent priority or anything. You just keep broadcasting that interference is all. I will adapt as necessary."

With that, the Kyuubey darted off, leaving a stunned and confused Louise in its wake. Before she could think to pursue it, Matilda's voice alerted her to a new presence. "I need to talk with you." Louise glanced after her familiar, and found no trace of it. Giving up the idea of pursuit, she turned to Matilda.

Saito may be trustworthy, and Tiffania seemed nice, but Louise had not forgotten how close Matilda, or Fouquet, had come to killing her. "Finally decided to stop watching us and talk a little?" Louise spoke with measure. The woman had not let either of her former hostages leave her sight throughout the day. Something Louise was fine with, as it allowed her to do the same.

Matilda sighed, resignation leaking from her. "Saito is making me apologize." There was a pause as Matilda met Louise's incredulous gaze. "I mean… Look, Tiffania doesn't know what I did before I got back. I'd like to keep it that way." Shifting back and forth, Matilda tried to find the proper words. "I have good reason to hate nobles… But I was starting down a dark road by taking that out on you. If I had actually…" Her voice cut off, not wanting to voice her sinister attempt. "I would not have been able to face my sister again. I guess I lost track of why I was out thieving in the first place… somewhere along the way."

Silence fell on the two as Matilda waited for Louise's response. After a moment of thought, Louise replied, "You came very close to killing my best friend." Matilda made no move to deny the fact. "I don't think I can forgive that. I'm sure I cannot forget it. However, I can ignore it. I owe Saito as much."

Matilda nodded in acceptance, "That's all I can ask."

"You should probably be careful apologizing to Montmorency. She is a bit more protective than I am," Louise cautioned.

Tenderly, Matilda touched her side. "I found that one out the hard way. You have a violent friend." Louise put two and two together, and barely suppressed a chuckle. Blockhead. "So, dinner is ready, do you take wine with your supper?" Matilda tried to break the somber mood.

Louise gave one glance toward the shadows where her familiar disappeared. Then, giving up, she replied, "Yes, I could really go for some wine right about now."

* * *

><p>"So I take my leave of my job at the jail and the next day, what do I get? A letter from Tiffania saying a she has <em>bonded<em> with a strange man." Matilda through her hands up in the air in exasperation. With the children put to bed, the five "adults" were sitting around sipping the rest of their wine. While Louise had limited herself to a single glass, Matilda seemed to be drinking away her stress. Tiffania placed her hands over her face to cover her growing blush.

Opposite her, Saito hiccupped from inebriation, though he was still on his first glass. It was like he had never touched alcohol before. The color flooded from his face as he remembered his first meeting with Matilda. "She shows up with a rusty old blade asking me if I preferred castration to death!" If it was even possible, Tiffania's blush grew even greater.

"Hey, I take offence to that!" Derflinger called from his place resting against the counter.

It was Matilda who responded to the sword's complaint. "It's no less than you deserve, lying blade. The only reason you are not still rotting back in that bargain bin was because you convinced me you were a sword-wand." Waving dismissively at the sword, Matilda returned to her story. "So I was ready for him to run or plead for his life, but I wasn't ready for him to rip off his shirt!"

Montmorency nearly spat up her wine. "You _what_?" Tiffania was red as a strawberry by this point.

Saito held up his hands in defense. "I was just showing her my familiar brand." With one hand, he grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled it down. Sure enough, Louise could see runes strewn across his chest. "Tiffania summoned me as her familiar." Montmorency tried in vain to suppress her giggles at Saito's expense, though Louise's curiosity overrode any humor. A human familiar; was it an elf thing?

"I meant familiar bond. Familiar bond." Tiffania mumbled through her hands.

The laughing died down and Tiffania's blush receded as the conversation turned to idle chatter. "So, I think I might be drunk enough to ask, what are you? You aren't liches, I can tell that much." Matilda spoke, holding out her glass of wine and pointing the lip toward Louise.

Louise wasn't sure how to answer, but it turned out she didn't need to. "They are obviously magical girls." Saito spoke up. Both girls' eyes snapped to Saito. They had not told him that Kyuubey had called them magical girls. They had only mentioned they were not liches. As inebriated as he was, Saito ignored the surprise in their eyes. "Just so you know, I am totally your friend. There is definitely no need to befriend me. Go ahead and befriend Matilda though, she could use it." As if he had spoken some great joke, the boy began uncontrollably chuckling.

"How did you know?" Montmorency was the first to speak up, more confused than anything else.

Saito leaned back in his chair and began rambling. "Ah, I'm already in this fantasy setting, magical girls make about as much sense as half-elves and mages."

While his odd words confused the two magical girls, they exasperated Matilda. "Not this again, mister from another world." The ex-thief's eyes rolled and she took another sip of her wine. "I'm telling you, when Tiffania used 'mind wipe' to remove the familiar compulsion from you, your weak little mind got confused. There is no such place as this magic-less land of Jopon."

"Japan." Kyuubey's voice joined the group. The white creature sat in the open window over the counter. Montmorency and Louise turned their attention to it, as it was strange for the Kyuubey to speak up of its own accord. The others did the same for more basic reasons. "The boy is an earthling."

Snapping his fingers in realization, Saito exclaimed, "You were the voice I heard in the forest!"

Setting her glass down, Louise measured her familiar. "That is my familiar, a Kyuubey. Is there a specific reason you showed yourself?" In spite of herself, Louise was intrigued. The Kyuubey usually had something important to say when it spoke up.

Despite her expectations, the white familiar shook its head. "Incorrect Data should be rectified." Now Louise was sure. With the strange outburst earlier and her familiar's current odd actions; something was up.

"Hah! I told you I was from Earth! Wait, how did you know I was from Earth?" Saito tilted his head in confusion. Sure, another fantastic creature didn't really give him pause in this world, but he was fairly sure Humans were the only species capable of speaking back on Earth. Not to mention he had never heard of an animal like this Kyuubey.

The Kyuubey's tail swished once, "While you were busy trying to escape the dimensional hole, I entered to investigate."

"Wait, you mean that green portal? I thought that was because Tiffania summoned me?" Saito leaned forward, obviously interested in this revelation.

Green portal? Summoning? Louise furrowed her brow. Even ignoring the fact that her familiar was claiming to be from another world, it seemed to be stating that Louise had not intentionally summoned the Kyuubey. "So you are saying that I didn't summon you?" Louise began, "That I summoned Saito, and you cut in line?"

When the Kyuubey nodded its head, Louise didn't know what to think. "It's a bit more complex than that, but in simpler terms, yes. I am surprised he found another exit. You must have a very similar frequency to Louise." The Kyuubey looked to Tiffania, who still was dumbstruck with the animal. Upon meeting its gaze, she averted her eyes shyly.

Saito's hand rubbed his chin. "That would explain how I got summoned even though Tiffania says she never tried the summoning ritual. But wait, if you didn't expect me to find an exit from that green portal… What did you expect to happen?"

The Kyuubey's tail still as it turned its gaze to Saito. "I exempted minor details from my decision making. However, I assume you would most likely have remained between worlds and existed outside time until you expired."

A moment of silence passed as the occupants of the room realized what the Kyuubey meant. "Louise," Saito broke the silence, "Your familiar is kind of a dick."

* * *

><p>The after-dinner conversation had died soon after the Kyuubey had taken to silence. It had been getting late anyways. Soon enough, Louise and Montmorency had been shown a room before Saito dragged a movement-impaired Matilda off toward her room. The room itself was really a recently vacated storage room with some makeshift beds, but it was a far cry better than a cell or bedroll in the woods.<p>

Montmorency held her familiar Robin in her hand, whispering something to it. Louise turned her attention to the Kyuubey at her feet. "You want to explain what is going on with you?"

"No." The Kyuubey spoke before trotting over to Louise's bed and settling down at the foot of it.

Was that… Annoyance? Louise shook her head and prepared for bed. She was too mentally exhausted from the recent revelations to press her familiar on its odd actions.

* * *

><p>The following day brought much of the same work as the previous. It felt a lot like being back with Colbert and Siesta in the valley. Saito and Tiffania were open, friendly people and even Matilda was becoming a bearable presence. As long as either Saito or Tiffania were around, it wouldn't get too awkward to be near Louise's one time kidnapper. Louise was currently helping Saito with his sword practice in a rather odd way. The continuous flame she was casting from her wand drained into his sword Derflinger. The magic eating sword was amazing, to say the least. "Ah, that is plenty." The sentient sword spoke.<p>

With her role done, Louise stepped back to allow the boy to once again begin the forms his sword was teaching him. Twice he slashed at an invisible foe and then stepped forward to press the attack. "No no no!" The sword spoke up, cutting the boy off mid swing. "You are doing it wrong again."

Bringing the sword around, Saito complained. "I'm doing it just like you said, why does it have to be perfect?"

The sword rattled against Saito's weak will. "Boy, I have been wielded by the greatest swordsmen the world has ever seen and by the lowliest grunts, too. You know what separates them? Perfection! An inch is the difference between a strong balance and falling on your butt just in time to be run through!" A shiver ran through Saito's body as Derflinger's consumed magic rushed to take control. "Here, let me show you." Louise watched in amazement as Saito's body moved with speed and grace far surpassing his earlier movements. Had she been watching this for the past hour, she would not have believed this sword's abilities. Consuming magic is one thing, but using that consumed magic to control its wielder? That almost sounded like a cursed sword to her. Of course it would make sense for the familiar of a half-elf and savior of liches to use a cursed sword, Louise joked to herself.

The practice continued with Louise refilling Derflinger every ten minutes. It was amazing to watch how fast Saito progressed, though Louise supposed a sword would be the best swordsman trainer. When he was finally done practicing, Saito took the water Louise offered him happily. "So, you were the one who summoned me." He spoke between gulps.

Louise had not expected him to bring the odd subject up so flippantly. She realized she had torn him from his home without asking, without even meaning to. She realized she had no way to send him back to his family, his culture. She realized he had every reason to hate her. "I'm sorry…" It wasn't much, but it was all Louise could offer.

The snort of laughter from Saito snapped Louise's attention to him. "Sorry? I wanted to thank you." Louise watched as Saito looked beyond her. Following his gaze, she found it resting on Tiffania. The half elf was busy teaching a group of children how to knit. "I never really had a purpose until I found myself here."

In that still moment, Louise looked toward Saito and found real happiness in his eyes. True warmth. "You like her?"

From the way Saito's face instantly reddened and how he began jabbering incoherently, Louise knew she had hit the nail on the head. "Ah, well, I just wanted to thank you is all." Louise didn't press him; it was only fair to cut her life's savior some slack. "So, not awkward anymore?"

Nodding, Louise agreed. "Not awkward anymore."

* * *

><p>Matilda closed her book on architectural transmutation and looked up at the person blocking her sun. Montmorency looked down with a measured gaze. While the girl was willing to 'follow Louise's lead' as she had said when Matilda went to apologize, she still had a hostile air about her. "Are you going to hit me again? If so, please not the face."<p>

Montmorency ignored the dry humor. If the ex-thief wanted to complain about it, fine; she did not regret her petty revenge. "Louise and I are going to be making a plan. She was hoping we could get your help since you know the area."

For a second, Matilda considered sarcasm. However, her sore side reminded her of Montmorency's hostility when she had sought to apologize. "I can do that."

With a nod, Montmorency turned away. "Come on then."

It wasn't long before the five elders of Westwood Village had convened in the dining room. An old map of Albion was spread over the table. "I'm sorry that this map is a bit out of date." Tiffania spoke apologetically. The map itself had some villages crossed out and others written in. It had obviously been updated over the years.

Louise did not respond at first, instead she watched the doorway where her familiar sat. The beast had shown up to listen in, apparently. Deciding there was no harm in its presence; Louise returned her attention to the map. "It's fine. You have done more than enough." Looking down on the map, she pointed at the town of Saxe-Gotha. "We know there is a church presence here. We need to know how to get in and out of the main chapel and we need to know if there are any missions or large chapels in the surrounding countryside."

Matilda let out a breath, thinking. "Tristain just took Saxe-Gotha; this entire countryside is a skirmish ground." Louise furrowed her brow. She knew Tristain was staging an assault on Albion, but for them to have already taken Saxe-Gotha, her home country was doing incredibly well. "The outlying villages have emptied into the town. Apparently Tristain is sharing their supplies with the citizens, and since the Reconquista looted just about everything, I doubt you will find a soul outside that city. You aren't planning to take on the church are you?"

Montmorency shook her head. "Not exactly, we just need the church's information. They're looking for a void mage in the Saxe-Gotha area. We want to find them first."

"Well that's easy." Derflinger spoke up from his place on Saito's back. "Tiffania here is a void mage. She uses the spell Mind Wipe. Mind Wipe is a Void spell. Therefore, Tiffania is a void mage."

There was a beat. "Is that a big deal?" Saito asked, breaking the silence.

Louise nearly slapped her forehead at the ignorance of the statement. Matilda settled for slapping Saito upside the head. "The void is a sacred, holy power. If Tiffania were human, she could be declared a saint for casting one void spell, let alone being able to repeat the miracle." Tiffania seemed to be overwhelmed at the implication. The girl was currently blushing up a storm. Calming her sister could wait, Matilda decided, instead she turned her attention to Louise. "While I think we can say that this plan to find a void mage was successful, I would be very interested to know why you wanted to find my sister."

It was a tough call. Jump for joy that she had found the void mage or laugh hysterically at how easy it had been. Louise settled for getting a lucky break just once in her life. Glancing toward Montmorency, Louise looked for her friend's resolve; finding it, Louise retrieved the ring from her finger as Montmorency did the same. A faint light escaped as the two gems reverted to the natural egg shapes of their soul gems. "The church calls us liches… They are not entirely inaccurate." Louise caught a hint of steel in Matilda's eyes. Tiffania's blush disappeared as she looked at the wondrous gems with amazement. "Without intending it, we separated our souls from our bodies. We found records that Brimir may have had a way to put them back… We were hoping that as a void mage…"

Louise let her voice die out and looked at Tiffania expectantly. Somewhere within her, hope began to form. She still couldn't believe she had found a void mage. The very idea, she _still _didn't believe it possible. Yet here was a supposed void mage before her. "I-I" Tiffania stuttered, and then dropped into a bow nearly hitting her forehead on the table before her. "I'm sorry; the only spell I know is Mind Wipe." A pit formed in Louise's stomach. She had always known this was a long shot, but to have her end goal say it was all for nothing, that they never had a chance to begin with. No… Push the feelings down. Calm.

Halfway through calming her fluttering heart, Louise nearly jumped with fright when her familiar landed on the table before her. "Stop that." Louise leaned back in shock. Just what- "Construct," The Kyuubey turned to Derflinger, "if you know of one void spell, then you know of more, correct? Where can one acquire knowledge of these spells?"

The sword hummed thoughtfully, "Brimir left knowledge in the four void artifacts. Your best bet would be 'The Founder's Prayer Book,' probably."

With a flick of its tail, the Kyuubey spared Louise one glance before hopping off the table and trotting away. Louise was half tempted to go after her familiar and demand answers. However, Tiffania nearly burst. "I-if I can, I would really like to help." She bowed, once again coming dangerously close to hitting her head on the table.

Montmorency raised her hands to placate the half-elf. "Umm… I think we should be the ones bowing here." In spite of her previous fear, Montmorency was more than willing to latch on to another chance at restoring her soul. "Then I guess we need to be planning about how to get The Founder's Prayer Book then, right Louise?" It took a second, but Louise shook herself out of her funk.

Louise glanced around the table, realizing all eyes were on her. Montmorency offered support and looked for hope. Matilda kept a measured gaze, obviously only worried about her sister's wellbeing. Saito looked completely oblivious. And Tiffania… Tiffania's eyes welled up with pleading. This girl, her will to help someone she just met. Honestly, Louise was touched. "Well, the book is a treasure of the Tristain Royal Family. Henrietta would carry it to war to gain Brimir's favor. She and I are childhood friends, I could probably convince her to lend it to us if we can sneak in to meet her." For a brief moment, Louise felt a pang of guilt. Long ago she had decided to never use her friendship with Henrietta for personal or political gain. Even if she couldn't see Henrietta often, she had been Louise's sole friend. That thread of light had been something Louise would not sully with a political play. Still, this was different. She promised herself it was.

"_If_ we agree to this," Matilda began, only to stop when the pleading eyes of Tiffania met hers. "Okay, Tiffania can help you; I see no problem with her learning more magic." Matilda shot her younger sister a solid look, "However, I have a condition. You go retrieve this book during the latter half Advent Festival. That's only a week away. There will be a temporary truce during the festival so you won't be drawing scouts back to the forest and if you go during the peak of the celebration, half the army will be drunk as well.

It barely took any thought for Louise to come to a conclusion. Waiting in safety for a week was a small price to pay for the help they needed. Plus, even without the condition it was the best course of action to go when the chances of conflict were at their smallest. "Okay, Montmorency and I leave in one week." Louise turned to Montmorency to be greeted with an affirming nod.

* * *

><p>The week passed with surprising speed. After a couple days, the children of Westwood Village had grown used to the newcomers. Days passed, chores were done, Matilda and Saito even got one more hunting trip in before there was snowfall; something Matilda had insisted on bringing Montmorency on due to her strength. Louise had waited until Montmorency had hauled back the deer before pointing out that she had been used as a pack mule. Saito again returned the loser with only some fowl and a rabbit. It made sense that a thief would be so good at tracking, Louise concluded, you had to know how it was done to avoid being tracked yourself.<p>

When the snow did fall on the fourth day, it fell in blankets. The final three days of waiting were spent inside with a bunch of cabin-fevered children. They could only let small groups out in shifts since they only had enough snow clothes for a few. Saito took to telling a story of a golem with a soul named Astro. As frivolous and odd as it was, the story was fun to listen to and kept most of the children entertained.

When the day for them to leave came, the two magical girls were seen off by the assembled occupants of Westwood Village. Tiffania stepped forward and handed Louise a scarf. The elf had insisted they take her snow clothes to keep warm, and now she was fussing with Montmorency to get a scarf around the girl's neck. "Fine, _mom_." Montmorency relented, gaining a ripple of giggles from the children.

"We'll be back either tonight or tomorrow." Louise spoke up; talking to the more business minded Matilda. The elder woman nodded in return. Placing a hand on Montmorency's shoulder, Louise nodded toward the door. A chorus of goodbyes called after them as the two made their exit. When the door closed behind her, Louise spoke up in the sudden loneliness. "South to the edge of the forest, that'll put us close to a road, according to Saito." Montmorency swallowed once and nodded. Then the two girls made their way toward the city of Saxe-Gotha, laboriously trudging through the knee high snow.

The walk itself was not the worst thing Louise had endured during her adventure, but it was a heavy thing. It was like the moment before they had sallied out against the Reconquista invasion force, but hours long. They were lucky the Kyuubey was such an easy target of stress relieving jokes. The familiar hopped through the snow ahead of them and was constantly falling through and digging itself out again.

It was nearly evening when the two reached the edge of the woods. While cold, traveling in the darkness was the safest move. If worst came to worst, Louise could always fly them to safety. Stepping out from the woods, Louise's eyes looked across the countryside. In the distance she could see Saxe-Gotha twinkling with its many lamps. Yet, there was another mass of lights in the countryside. The realization hit Louise like a ton of bricks. The Reconquista army was marching; Louise had spied the torches of the advancing soldiers. "They're breaking the Advent Festival Truce…" Montmorency voiced the thoughts they were both having.

A flash of pink heralded Louise's transformation. Now was no time to be stingy. "We need to warn Princess Henrietta. We need to _go_." Montmorency didn't object and was soon aboard Louise's staff, the Kyuubey stuffed safely in her jacket. The two girls lanced off into the frigid night sky. Even covered in layers of wool, Montmorency shivered as needles of cold sank into her skin. Transformed, Louise's costume barely provided any form of warmth, though if it bothered her she did not show it.

Even as Louise passed over the walls of Saxe-Gotha, she met no resistance. Bellow she could see soldiers fighting amongst themselves. If they were spies, traitors, or men controlled by spells, Louise did not know and she did not care. She needed to get to Princess Henrietta; she needed to warn her friend. As Louise soared over the confusion, she spied the airships at the back of the town. From the massive amount of people boarding the fleet, the army was most likely in full retreat. Upon realizing that, Louise let out a breath of relief. If that was the case, Henrietta would definitely be aboard the flagship. Montmorency must have come to the same conclusion, "The Flagship is the Dauntless!" She called over the howling winds, pointing toward the great battleship.

Right, Louise realized, they still had an objective. She had nearly forgotten in her fear for Henrietta. Dragons took to the sky near the airships and sailed toward Louise, obviously having spotted the intruder. Louise grit her teeth, she had no time to lose them. With the Reconquista advancing she needed to meet with Henrietta and leave as quickly as possible. When Louise made no move to adjust her course, Montmorency let out a worried warning, "I hope you know what you're doing, Louise."

"Transform." Louise commanded in return. In a flash of gold, Montmorency's snow clothes fled before the light of her summoned garment.

As the dragons approached, Louise banked slightly and allowed them the altitude. The lead dragon knight slowed and fell in beside her, recognizing her deference with caution. "You there! Riders! State your business or be struck from the sky!"

Summoning up her best commanding tone, Louise called back to the dragon knight, "I have no time to deal with you! We are the saviors of Tarbes! We seek Princess Henrietta!" Louise hoped with all her heart that her partial deception would work.

One of the younger riders spoke from behind his captain. "Sir! Gold and Pink riders clad in white! She even is riding a silver staff! They are here to save Tristain again!" His voice was _giddy,_ something that drew a sigh from his captain and nearly drew one from Louise herself.

Recovering from his subordinate's poor presentation, the captain spoke to Louise, "Even if you are indeed the Angels of Tarbes, I cannot let you past. You have to understand-"

"Do not misunderstand me child!" Louise interrupted, taking the idea of being an immortal angel in stride. "I will defend Tristain from all who seek her harm. If you impede my progress, I will strike you down as well. I deferred only out of respect for your service to Tristain." The stunned look upon the captain's face was what Louise had been waiting for. Turning at an angle no dragon could match, Louise pelted through the dragons and sailed toward the Dauntless.

Louise strained to hear behind her, but refrained from looking lest she show her hand. After a moment, the Kyuubey's voice filled her head. "_They are not following._" Taking the offered help, Louise let out the breath she had been holding. Getting into a fight with her own country in the middle of the army would have been troublesome, to say the least.

The two fake angels landed on the deck of the Dauntless and didn't spare a glance to any of the stunned sailors. It was important to keep up the aura of an angel. Striding toward the captain's cabin, Louise stopped only when the door to the cabin opened and Cardinal Mazaline, church advisor to the throne, stepped out. Louise had met him personally on many occasions and he was sure to recognize her. What mattered was if he was loyal to Tristain, or to the Pope. His eyes studied Louise with burning intensity. Then, after what seemed to be an hour, he spoke, "The Angels of Tarbes." With a bow, he moved from cabin doorway to let them by.

It took every bit of resolve Louise had not to let out a breath of relief. Maintaining the best noble stride she could, Louise walked through the doorway to the captain's cabin, allowing it to be shut behind her. The room itself was elegant, royal in every way. Yet Louise ignored the luxuries around her in favor of the woman that stood in the back, looking out the grand window toward her people. "Cardinal," Princess Henrietta spoke, turning as she did, "What was the probl-" Her voice cut off as she spotted Louise rather than her adviser. "Louise!" She cried, her voice cracking as she did.

The two old friends were in each other's arms in moments. "Princess Henrietta." Louise spoke, her wall of nobility falling in the private company of friends.

"Louise, my dear Louise." Henrietta held her friend close. "I knew the church was wrong. You have not an ounce of evil in you." The Princess pressed her friend closer. "I did everything I could to hamper the church Louise, I swear."

There was not a doubt in Louise's mind that Henrietta spoke the truth. "Thank you..."

Wetness fell upon Louise's neck. Princess Henrietta was crying, she realized. "I've been so alone. Wales died, Agnes was injured, and you disappeared. I could hardly bear it."

Louise gave one final squeeze, and then reluctantly broke apart from her friend. "You have no idea how much I want to stay with you Princess, but I cannot stay." Henrietta's fearful eyes searched Louise. "Montmorency and I are close to a cure for ourselves, so very close. We need the Founder's Prayer Book. I know it is a lot to ask, but I need you to lend it to me."

Realization flooded into Henrietta's eyes before they fell in shame. "Louise, I have done something terrible."

* * *

><p>Many a great warrior expected to die in glorious combat only for disease to take them in their own bed. Was it ironic or just tragic that she who had long expected to die from wasting disease in her own bed was to die in combat? Cattleya pondered to herself atop the hill. Below her, an army 70,000 marched toward her; their slow, rumbling process caused the very ground beneath Cattleya to shake with fear.<p>

It was tragic. She was sure. Tragic that she had joined up with the war effort to get into Albion just to go to where her sister was going. The description of the Angels of Tarbes had been obvious. Louise had either been seeking access to Albion or had been seeking to protect Tristain. Both possibilities meant that Cattleya's best chance of finding her involved conscription. Of course, then she was able to turn the tide at the landing battle, and continued to win battles with the power of the Void. Princess Henrietta had even gifted her with the Founder's Prayer Book.

How could she leave the army now? She had become a symbol, people depended on her. Louise would have stayed and fought. Louise would not have given up. She was strong like that. So Cattleya would be strong too. Even if she couldn't find her sister, she would protect Tristain long enough for Louise to come back to it. She would make her little sister proud.

Hefting the tower shield strapped to her left arm up, Cattleya tested its weight again. It was heavier than the kite shield she was used to, but still light enough that she should be able to move freely. With her free hand, she checked the straps on her breastplate one last time. Each was properly secured, just as they had been the past three times she checked. With a breath of resignation, Cattleya drew her sword-wand, its sharp edge ringing as it escaped its sheath. Most likely the advance scouts of the army were beginning to take notice of her. Time to make the entire army notice her.

Words of power left Cattleya's lips with practiced ease. The strange, volatile nature of the void crept up within her. _Wound, don't kill_. Cattleya silently pleaded to her power. She had done it before; wounding all and killing none. Right now she needed to do it again. This was not an army she could defeat, but it was one she could slow. "Explosion!" Cattleya called out to the advancing army. Cattleya's Void lanced outward without a trace. Only Cattleya could feel the raw power leave her. Then, in a single instant, power erupted within the army. The white flash of destruction lit up the night sky, sending men and demi-beast alike soaring.

Cattleya took a deep breath and refrained from casting again. She needed to slow this army and collapsing from willpower loss was not the way to do it. Instead, she began the chant for the earth dot spell, Rock Throw. It was short, simple and took very little power. In rapid succession, she launched volatile miscasted earth spells down at the army. Her aim was terrible and the spell simply failed in a grand explosion, but Cattleya's target was big enough that her aim did not matter. The army was quick to draw back, leaving only a few to gather the wounded from her initial assault. By the time the army had escaped her range, Cattleya was sure she had taken down at least a tenth of it. Not enough to truly stop it, but enough to slow the march.

What really mattered was how long she could hold this hill. If they moved in force, she would just hit them with another explosion. Instead, they would have to send small groups of units to engage her. Well, let them come. "I may not have mastered the Rule of Steel, but I can imitate Louise's Iron Resolve." Even in the face of all the world's troubles, she would persevere.

The army's first response was expected. Archers too numerous to count raised their bows and drew them back. Countless officers ordered their missiles loose at once. Cattleya could actually hear the rumble of the wind as the barbed raced into the night sky. This would not end her.

Bracing herself beneath her tower shield, Cattleya held firm against the torrent of arrow. Countless though they may be, arrows fired uphill with the untrained hands of farmers could only howl uselessly against her shield. As quickly as it began, the thunder of arrows stopped. With a lurch, Cattleya whipped her shield to the side and stood. The few arrows that managed to stick to her shield fell from it, not having the power to dig into the thick steel.

Cattleya stood in the sole clear patch in what had become a sea of arrows. She stood proud and tall, striking fear into the army below her. A new incantation left Cattleya's lips as she picked out numerous battle mages preparing their staffs. The mages below were the first to finish their spells. Each sent up a blast of fire. So numerous were the balls of flame that the plains of Saxe-Gotha lit up as if it were day. Yet Cattleya did not falter. Even as her skin burned from the heat, she continued to chant. Then, as the flames were upon her, she released her second Void spell.

"Dispel!"

A wall of power extended outward from Cattleya, snuffing the magic flames from existence as it past them. This time, there was nothing to speak of the Reconquista's assault. No seas of arrows to show their failure; only the memory of crushed magic and the immovable figure on the hill.

"Stand tall." Cattleya spoke only to herself. If she belied any fatigue, the Reconquista might try running her willpower dry. She could manage one, maybe two more dispels before she would be at her limit. If they fired again, she would have to charge.

Luck favored Cattleya however, as a group of light cavalry sallied out. Cattleya smirked; she had chosen this hill not only for its height, but for its steep incline. No heavy cavalry could climb it and a light charge would fail. She refrained from attacking once they were in range; best to draw this test of her abilities out as long as possible. She was here to stall, after all.

The squad of about twenty horsemen hit the hill and kept charging upward, rapidly losing speed as they did. Silently, Cattleya offered an apology to the horse she was about to harm. When the horsemen were about halfway up the hill, Cattleya loosed another miscast earth spell. Half the squad fell before the spell, and half those remaining lost control of their panicking steeds. Again, Cattleya released a miscast spell, yet the remainder had spread out to avoid being taken out all at once. Two toppled in the explosion, and the three remaining neared ever closer to Cattleya.

With no time for a full incantation, Cattleya relied on the first spell she ever learned, Pebble Skip. The cantrip was a one word spell for amusing a budding mage; yet powered by the volatile Void, it served as a great single target attack. The left most rider took the spell in the chest and was launched clear off his steed.

Cattleya's knees bent as the final riders fell upon her. Their horses broke through the sea of arrows, a wake of broken shafts flying out behind them. Each rider couched their spear in preparation. The riders expected her to dodge or brace her shield. Cattleya did neither. She knelt low to the ground and slanted her shield as low as possible. If there was one thing Cattleya knew, it was animals. These were light cavalry. They were not trained to trample like heavy warhorses. Sure enough, Cattleya did not feel the crushing weight of horses upon her shield; she felt only the scrapes of two spear points unable to find purchase as the two horses jumped over her.

Instantly, Cattleya rose, cantrip on her lips. The miscast spell hit the closest rider in the back and sent him spiraling away. The final rider reared his horse round and looked at his opponent. He found only a dismissive wave of a sword-wand before he too was sent flying unconscious through the night.

Once again Cattleya planted her feet and stared down the army before her. She half expected them to launch another wave of missiles at her, or maybe arrows and magic at the same time, but perhaps the groaning and weary crawling of the soldiers on the hillside was enough to deter them. Whether they refrained due to honor or fear of moral drop, Cattleya was glad they decided not to kill their own men in a ranged attack.

She was not as glad when she saw seven dragon knights take to the sky. A dragon alone was dangerous, a mage atop only compounded the danger. These would be the elites of the army, something she had hoped they would hold off using a while longer. With no way to help it, Cattleya took a deep breath and readied her shield. The dragon knights kept their distance as they circled around her, testing her range. This was a well-trained team; each rider was even spaced from the others, offering Cattleya no way to strike a group down. Cattleya's head darted back and forth, tracking her enemies.

Without warning, the first of them dove toward Cattleya. Her sword-wand was up in under a second and the concussive force of a miscast dot spell knocked the beast from the sky. Two more dove towards her, each opposite the other. Rather than cast again, Cattleya began chanting as she flew into motion. Dashing directly toward the dragon to her right, she dove forward and under it before it could unleash its fire. Rolling upright, Cattleya planted her shield just in time to meet the blast of dragonfire from her second opponent. Heat curled around her and threatened to steal the air from her lungs, yet she continued to chant. Cries of the regaining dragons sounded from all around as the rest of the squad fell upon her. Each dragon released flame, each rider released spell. Cattleya finished her chant.

"Explosion!" The torrent of power crushed outward from Cattleya. Spell, dragonfire, beast and rider alike were swatted away in its wake. The blinding white light engulfed the hilltop, forcing the army below to avert its gaze. As quickly as it had been summoned, Cattleya's power fizzled. Only the sounds of dragon body thumping into the ground around her and her own labored breaths could be heard.

Cattleya's instincts screamed to her. Not thinking, Cattleya dove to the side just as a dragon landed where she had been standing. The beast spun on her, its rider flopping unconsciously on its back. Fear flitted into Cattleya's heart. Her magic was tapped out, she might have a cantrip or two left, but that was it. Smoke flitted out between the dragon's teeth. It was preparing a breath attack. If she blocked she would only be snapped up by those jaws. That meant there was only one option.

With all the resolve Cattleya could muster, she charged the dragon. "I may not be as powerful as mother…" Fire rumbled in the dragon's throat and Cattleya's remaining shreds of magic rumbled with her. "I may not be as smart as Eleanor…" The dragon opened its mouth and Cattleya raised her sword-wand. "I may not be as strong as Louise…" The concussive force of miscast cantrip exploded within the beast's mouth. Rearing back in pain, the dragon released its fir into the night sky. Enraged, it turned to the charging Cattleya and launched forward, jaw open with rows of glistening teeth rushing to meet the Valliere. Then, just as the beast was upon her, Cattleya smashed her shield into the beasts head, knocking herself around it as much as it aside.

"But I am me!" Cattleya's sword slid into the dragon's inner ear; the one soft spot on the armored lizard. As large as the beast was, it crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut when the blade pierced its brain. "And I know animals." Twisting, Cattleya pulled her sword-wand from the dead dragon.

With labored steps, Cattleya made her way back toward the edge of the hill. Once again, she planted her feet and waited for her enemy. Answering her unvoiced challenge, two more dragon knights took to the skies. Cattleya once again reached within her to claim her power, yet this time she found nothing. Not even a scrape of willpower for a cantrip, she was out. "Willpower burnout, huh?" She spoke weakly to herself as the dragons knights approached. That meant she would need to get them in melee range. Maybe get on top of one. That meant she would need to block the first flame blast.

Cattleya raised her shield before her, or at least tried to. Her arm made no move to follow her command. Wearily, she looked down to her numb limb. "Right, burnouts usually cause blackouts." She remembered the lesson on magic overextension vaguely. She was so focused on inspecting her arm that she didn't realize she was falling until her back hit the grass.

Sound became muffled as the dragon knight landed over Cattleya. Well, she had definitely delayed them long enough, right? It had been a good stand, mother would definitely be proud. The dragon's mouth neared Cattleya and she waited for the end.

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

A voice raged against the heavens and the earth. It raged against the night. It raged against Brimir himself.

Cattleya's vision faded in and out. There was the dragon. Then there was the night sky. Then the vision of her sister Louise fell over her, tears in her eyes. Ah, she had died and gone to heaven. Well, if she was with Louise, it was good.

* * *

><p>Montmorency did not speak. She simply held fast to the wounded body of Louise's sister as they made their escape from the Reconquista army. She knew Louise was fast on her staff, but she had never seen her move this fast. They hit the forest before the army could even think about pursuing. Her thoughts drifted to what Louise had said to Princess Henrietta.<p>

* * *

><p>"Louise, I have done something terrible." Louise's brow furrowed and she searched her friend. "Your sister Cattleya has the Founder's Prayer Book. I left it with her in hopes of protecting her…" Fear gripped Louise, what was wrong with Cattleya? "The generals ordered her to hold off the Reconquista army, she has gone to meet them."<p>

What? The idea didn't make sense to Louise. How could they send one person against an army? How could they send Cattleya? "She is a void mage! The generals didn't ask me! I should have called her back! I-"

Henrietta was stopped when Louise placed a finger to her lips. "I would love to have a heart to heart and convince you that I forgive you, but I am now on a deadline. So I'll be brief." Louise did not push down her swirling emotions, she harnessed them "Henrietta, you are my dear friend. I have never thought, nor will I ever think ill of you." Placing one hand on Henrietta's shoulder, Louise looked into Henrietta's fearful eyes. The Princess looked back to find no hate in her childhood friend's eyes. "I can tell that you are feeling alone, but remember, I will always be your friend." Henrietta nodded hesitantly, "Now I have a sister to save. I'll see you later, my dear friend."

With that, Louise spun on her heel and exited the cabin, Montmorency in tow and ready for battle. The two left behind Henrietta, standing alone in the cabin. Yet, she was not alone. For the first time in a while, she did not feel alone.

* * *

><p>AN: Just want to give a big credit to my beta reader A Dark Alias! Everyone give a thanks for his awesome proofreading!


	12. Chapter 12: Complications

Chapter 12: Complications

On the fourth night of the Advent Festival, the Maiden of Mercy fell in battle. She stood alone against an army of 70,000 men, dragons, and beasts. 70,000 determined to kill her. 70,000 she was determined to spare. With the Reconquista slowed by their wounded, Tristain's army had retreated with minimal losses.

Despite their victory over Tristain, the Reconquista army's morale had plummeted in the wake of their battle against the Maiden. Many had been recruited believing they were on the side of justice and righteousness. Yet when they faced the maiden, she had spared all who sought her life. That alone would have shaken them, but when the two shining figures had retrieved her body, rumors had begun to spread. Some said angels had taken her to Brimir himself. Others claimed the figures had been wind spirits coming to usher her to the old gods. As many stories as there were faiths sprung up to explain the happenings of that fateful night.

So when the Gallian fleet arrived and opened fire on the Reconquista leadership, annihilating their command structure in one fell swoop, it came as no surprise to Gallia's king when the army fell apart. In fact, he had been counting on it. "Your intelligence was most helpful." King Joseph Gaul, the ruler of Gallia, spoke to his silver haired spy.

Kneeling in deference, Viscount Wardes returned the flattery. "You do me too much honor my grace. I seek only to serve you."

Neither man believed the other's flattery, yet they played the game of words never the less. "In that case, I have another job for you." Joseph spoke, spinning yet another plan.

* * *

><p>Cattleya was not sure where she would end up when she died. She liked to believe she was a good person. Despite her illness, she had devoted what strength she had to nursing animals back to health nearly her entire childhood. Never once had she spoken wrongly to her elders and she showed kindness to all she could. However, that changed when Louise gifted her with health.<p>

Joining the army had certainly been a rash decision; one her parents did not approve of. Yet, she had denied her elders' wishes and enlisted anyway. She was so sure that the Angels of Tarbes were Louise and her friend Montmorency. At the time it had made sense. If Louise planned on helping Tristain's army, then Cattleya's best chance of finding her was joining said army. It wasn't until she was on an airship bound for Albion that she began to think of alternate explanations. What if Louise had been seeking passage on an airship and got caught up in the fight? What if she had been hiding in Tarbes and now had to flee? There was no guarantee that she was heading to Albion. There was no guarantee of ever finding Louise.

Then Cattleya used the power of the Void to win the battle during the landing of Albion and her course had been set. Tristain's generals were quick to take advantage of her power. An elite guard would see her to battles to deliver the tide changing spells. She would arrive, embellished armor shining, and her light would crush all before her; wounding all but killing none. Soon she had become a symbol, "The Maiden of Mercy," the soldiers called her. As that symbol, leaving to search for Louise would have crushed the morale of Tristain's army. So she stayed. So she fought.

Only once did the enemy try in earnest to end her life, yet even as her guard fell around her, Cattleya discovered she was more than the men that protected her. Whether it was the Void within her or a result of Louise's wish, Cattleya did not know. What she did know was that it was painfully easy to swat aside the assassins that found her on the battlefield like so many flies. There was no time to cast, no time to make sure her opponents lived, no time to provide the mercy she was known for. When it was over, Cattleya was standing alone amongst the bodies of her guard and her would-be assassins thinking that she was no longer sure she would go to heaven when she died.

So when Cattleya began to come to her senses she expected to find either the bliss of heaven or the fires of hell. Not to be really, really itchy. Was there a middle ground maybe? The realm of endless rash? A particularly strong itch tickled her nose, drawing her hand unbidden to scratch it. However, as soon as Cattleya moved her hand a lance of pain shot through her body. "Whoa there," A familiar girl's voice sounded and something softly grabbed Cattleya's wrist, restraining her. Cattleya cracked her eyes open and immediately squinted against the light. As her tired eyes slowly adjusted, the form of a fair haired girl slowly filled her vision. She recognized the girl holding her hand; it was Louise's friend, Montmorency. "Try not to move too quickly." Montmorency spoke softly, worry in her voice as she watched Cattleya.

As her eyes slowly acclimatized to the light, Cattleya shifted her body to make sure everything was in its proper place. She was sore, but what really bothered her was the rapidly growing itching all over her body. Montmorency needed to let go of her wrist so she could scratch.

Wait! Montmorency?

Cattleya's mind snapped into focus. If Montmorency was here, then-

Cattleya's darting eyes found what she had been looking for. Clinging to her other arm lay the sleeping form of her dear sister Louise. It took everything to silence her voice even as her mouth opened. Still gaping, Cattleya watched her sister's chest rise and fall beside her. All Cattleya's aches and itches fell mute in her mind before the sight of the sister she had been seeking. "She hasn't left your side, the blockhead." Montmorency chided, releasing Cattleya's hand. "No itching." The free hand found its way to Louise's face and brushed a strand of pink hair behind the girl's ear. Only then did Cattleya notice the bandages covering her arms. With the rampant itching all over her body, Cattleya could not guess how much else was covered.

Placing her hand upon Louise's so as to keep her from fading in the absence of Cattleya's sight; Cattleya turned her head over to Montmorency, ignoring the soreness that came with the action. "HoW bAd?" Her voice scratched with dryness.

"Ah, I forgot that the Hydration spell does not prevent dry throat. Just a moment." Montmorency offered a ladle of water and helped Cattleya drink. The liquid trickled down her dry throat, bringing sweet relief with it. "You were burned up pretty bad when we found you, and I am no master healer, but you should recover just fine." A slight breath of relief escaped Cattleya at the sound of the good news.

A tightness upon Cattleya's arm drew her attention back to Louise. The sleeping girl's brow furrowed for a moment, troubled by a dream. Then, slowly and drearily, Louise's eyes opened. In the darkness of an unknown room, pink eyes met pink and the world held still for each.

"Cattleya!"

"Louise!"

The two wayward sisters embraced each other without hesitation; each clinging to the other, desperately proving to themselves that their precious sister was safe. However, the joyous moment was broken almost immediately by Montmorency as she rushed to support Cattleya. "Don't exert yourself!" Montmorency chided, supporting Cattleya's head and back as she slowly laid her patient back down before shooting Louise an annoyed look.

Caught between being annoyed at Montmorency for breaking her apart from Cattleya and worried about possibly having harmed her injured sister, Louise settled for looking over the elder Valliere, searching for any sign of harm.

While Louise worried over Cattleya, Cattleya's returned the favor. Her bandaged hand gripped Louise's and her eyes looked over her younger sister's body for any wounds or scars. Louise had been in at least one major battle and the idea of her younger sister in danger only quickened her fleeting heart. "You are safe." Cattleya's voice left of its own volition, relief filling it.

The soft, blue glow of water magic lit the room as Montmorency performed a basic diagnostic spell. Illuminated by the magic, Louise's face softened. She had nearly forgotten the warmth of Cattleya's love. Awakening covered in bandages after falling before an army alone and she was worrying about others. "I am safe." Louise confirmed to her elder sister. "_You_ are safe." Louise confirmed to herself.

"Safe, but recovering." Montmorency spoke up, once again not having patience while caring for her patient. "You both need sleep." The impromptu water healer commanded. "All your questions can wait until the morning." While both Vallieres silently protested the fact that they needed rest; they each also silently determined that their sister needed rest. Despite accepting the command to rest, Louise made no move to leave Cattleya's bed. Beyond the fact that the only other place for her to sleep was with Montmorency, Louise would not leave her sister's side. Montmorency, for her part, knew better than to push the issue.

Cattleya had no complaints. Back when she had been ill; the best sleep she had gotten was when Louise snuck into her bed for comfort. Back then, the idea of being needed rather than needing others had been what comforted her. Now… Now _she_ needed Louise. She needed to know she had succeeded. She had found her sister.

The two Vallieres drifted off to sleep far faster than either expected. Each was more exhausted than they realized, and within minutes they were fast asleep. Only Montmorency remained awake, determined to watch over her patient for a little while longer.

* * *

><p>Montmorency was much more lenient with her patient the following day. When Cattleya had woken at near noon, she had been greeted with a warm bowl of soup and the company of her dear sister. With the help of several pillows and one tightly folded blanket, Cattleya was propped up and allowed to feed herself. It was, quite simply, the best meal Cattleya had ever consumed. The fact that she hadn't eaten in the few days she had been unconscious might have affected her judgment a little, she silently conceded between greedy slurps of the soup.<p>

The conversation over the meal turned out to be very sparse as Montmorency seemed intent on making Cattleya concentrate on her food. Louise, for her part, was rather happy to see her best friend so worried about her elder sister. It was a warm, good feeling.

Upon finishing her soup, Cattleya's thoughts turned to the bandages on her body, something she'd been avoiding all day. Her arms, legs, and face were totally covered. Sensing her patient's worry, Montmorency spoke up. "The bandages make it look worse than it actually is. When we found you, you were covered nearly head to toe in mild burns. Alone, they wouldn't have put you out for as long as you were. That was the result of overcasting." Burns explained the itching, Cattleya realized, thinking back to the night before. "Lucky for you, I had plenty of burn salves already made. You can thank Louise for that; I've been brewing them ever since she started playing with fire every day. Though try to be careful for a while, I only have enough left for today's treatment." The blonde girl sighed as she pondered how to acquire more potion ingredients in the winter snow.

Louise, however, was slightly miffed at her friend's statement. "I don't _play_ with fire, I _practice_." Montmorency rolling her eyes only caused Louise to puff out her cheeks in silent indignation.

Studying her bandaged arm, Cattleya pondered aloud. "That's strange, though, I don't remember getting hit with fire." Tilting her head, Cattleya thought to herself as the eyes of Montmorency and Louise turned to her. "I only got close to getting hit once, and I blocked that dragon fire with my shield."

The two other occupants slowly put their elder's words together. Louise was the first to speak up. "Wait, you blocked a dragon's breath attack with that tower shield?" Cattleya, still trying to remember the battle's events, nodded mutely. Unbidden, Louise's hand rose to pinch the bridge of her nose. Sometimes, she forgot that Cattleya was horribly, horribly sheltered from the real world. "Cattleya, I know in all those picture books the knights block dragonfire with shields… but fire doesn't actually have to touch you to burn you." Cattleya, for her part, was horribly surprised by the information.

Deciding to ignore the insult to common sense, Montmorency went about unwrapping Cattleya's bandages. "We shouldn't need to wrap these again; you are just finishing up peeling." The opportunity to see under her bandages was quick to draw Cattleya's attention. Her worries were eased when healthy, new skin was revealed as the cloth wraps fell away. Sure, there was plenty of dead skin covering it, but it looked otherwise healthy. Instinctively, she reached to scratch the growing itch only to have her hand swatted away by Montmorency. "No scratching; it's surprising enough that you don't have any scarring."

Now that scratching was taboo, Cattleya's itches only increased. Luckily, Montmorency retrieved the last of her burn salve and set about applying the cool magical cream to Cattleya's skin. Enjoying the soothing feeling of the healing cream, Cattleya let her eyes wander around the room. Then, it occurred to her, "Where exactly are we?"

With Montmorency busy applying the last of her cream, Louise was left to answer. "After we rescued you from the battle, we took you to an orphanage in the Saxe-Gotha Woods, Westwood Village. A friend of ours runs it." For a second, Louise pondered her next words. It was probably best to leave out the fact the Matilda was the same Fouquet who had kidnapped her, at least for now. As for the other Westwood sibling… "Her name is Tiffania Westwood. She is a very kind person, you can definitely trust her." Carefully, Louise built up her sister's preconceptions toward Tiffania. Cattleya learned a lot about the world from the stories she had read growing up… So there was no telling how badly she thought of elves. "And she is a half-elf."

Louise's words fell heavy on the room. Montmorency stopped her work for a moment, waiting for Cattleya's response. Fear, stress, worry, even outright anger Louise was prepared for. However, she was not prepared for her sister to perk up in sheer excitement. "I _knew_ it." Cattleya declared. "All the stories had evil elves, dangerous dragons, and malevolent manticores. But dragons are just misunderstood and Mr. Fluffles is a big softy." So taken aback by the burst of energy from her sister, Louise took a second to remember Cattleya's pet name for her mother's manticore. "I _knew_ elves were nice too! Can I meet her!" A spark of the innocent, if slightly spoiled child that was Cattleya surfaced in the light of meeting an elf.

Still taken aback by Cattleya's eagerness, Louise hesitated to respond. "Um… I could go get her." Cattleya's insistent nod ushered a confused Louise from the room. Less than a minute later Louise returned with a shy half-elf in tow.

Equal amounts of trepidation and shyness floated within Tiffania. The idea of meeting new people scared her, yet the possibility of being accepted by others was her dearest hope. When Tiffania spied Louise's sister, she wasn't sure what to think. The woman looked excited to be sure, but half covered in bandages and cream left her looking somewhat like a mummy. Still, this was a first meeting and first impressions were important, mother had taught her as much. Quickly bowing, Tiffania stumbled over her words. "W-welcome to Westwood Village. You are welcome to stay here as long as you want. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"You _are_ nice!" Cattleya responded with a broad smile, causing Tiffania to raise her head, perplexed at the straight away compliment. Even Louise and Montmorency had been afraid at first. Two un-bandaged hands rose and grasped Tiffania's own. "I'm Cattleya Valliere. Let's be the best of friends!" Tiffania, thoroughly touched, responded with a nod; not trusting her choked up voice to function. Not one for formality, Cattleya was quick to embrace her new friend. After a moment, Cattleya broke away and looked her new friend in the eyes. "My dear friend Tiffania, there _is_ something I would ask of you." The faux mummy spoke with cheer and unabashed eagerness borne from a life lacking sufficient social contact. Leaning in to whisper into an overly large ear, she made her request.

Caught up in the moment, Montmorency and Louise leaned in, trying and failing to hear the muffled words. Tiffania leaned back and tilted her head slightly confused by Cattleya's whispered words. "Um…" She let out a noise of trepidation, but was unable to form words in the face of Cattleya's hopeful eyes. "Okay?" With that acceptance, Tiffania lowered herself to the floor and knelt so she was level with Cattleya. Again, Montmorency and Louise leaned in, watching the confusing scene.

Cattleya, intent on her prize, ignored her baffled sister and raised her hands, reaching with twitching fingers toward her new friend. Then, she gently grasped what she had long wished to grasp. A soft squeak sounded from Tiffania upon the intimate touch. Yet Cattleya did not stop. She was in bliss. They were perfectly firm, and far larger than an average human's. Plenty of room to knead her fingers all around. With a light pinch, she grasped the tips, "Ah~" A blissful sigh escaped Cattleya's lips.

"Ahh~" Tiffania let out her own blissful sigh under the gentle, massaging strokes of her newfound friend. When Cattleya had asked, the idea had seemed odd. But now… Now she had no idea what worried her. She only felt soft, soothing bliss.

A new figure entered the room, but stopped after only a step. "What's going on-" Saito spoke, but froze upon seeing the scene before him. "Is she-?" He spoke allowed to the stunned Louise.

To her credit, Louise tried to reply, but was too mesmerized by the strange scene before her. Both Tiffania and Cattleya sat in silence save for intermittent blissful sighs as Cattleya stoked Tiffania's large elven ears.

All Saito could think was that he kind of wanted to stroke Tiffania's ears now; and how he felt oddly embarrassed to think about it.

* * *

><p>After the ear rubbing session, proper introductions were made between Saito and Cattleya. Matilda herself was out hunting, apparently, so that would have to wait until she returned. The rest of the day progressed smoothly for Montmorency, happily for Tiffania, and boringly for the bedbound Cattleya. Despite feeling fit, Montmorency demanded the elder Valliere to take it easy. The only entertainment she had was the occasional shy child peeking in around the door. Apparently the orphans were making a game of trying to spy on her.<p>

While the four uninjured elders did take breaks and talk with Cattleya, they all were drawn away to various tasks. Louise herself kept finding chores that brought her to check on her sister, only to feel guilty and explain she had to help out as she had freeloaded while Cattleya had recovered, not wanting to leave her ailing sister's side.

After once again excusing herself from Cattleya's room, Louise made her way toward the dining room. The last of the chores had been finished, and now Saito had been pinned by the cabin bound children to tell another story while Tiffania watched the children outside. With Matilda still hunting and Montmorency busy brewing some potion in the kitchen-turned–impromptu-laboratory, only Louise was left to keep Cattleya company.

Yet she avoided her sister. It wasn't that she wasn't happy to see Cattleya. It was just… Cattleya would want to talk about what Louise had been doing and Louise still didn't even know how to begin. How do you tell your elder sister that your soul has been separated from your body and you could end up turning into a monster? And because she was avoiding conversation with Cattleya, she couldn't ask about the Founder's Prayer Book. It had been blank when they had retrieved it from her. Derflinger had said it only revealed spells to void users, but didn't know its inner workings. As soon as she brought it up to Cattleya, the woman was sure to ask why Louise needed void spells.

The idea of it sent a spiral of stress throughout Louise's body. Though the negative emotions couldn't threaten her clean soul gem, Louise looked at it anyway. The pink gem upon her ring shone brightly, barely even a hint of dimness. Carefully, she focused and pushed her emotions down, once again calming her quaking heart. Such thoughts were unnecessary.

A white blur leapt from beyond Louise's view and lanced into her arm. With a mighty chomp, her Kyuubey bit into her arm. It was weak, and only just broke the skin, but it still stung sharply. Louise instinctively jerked her arm, but the beast had already released and landed upon the dining table. Though its expression was as plain as always, Louise could see hostility and annoyance in its readied posture. No, wait; it was _she_ who was annoyed and hostile. Regardless of everything, her _familiar_ had attacked her. Yet before she could speak, her Kyuubey's voice filed her head. "_Now, correlate that pain response with whatever you were just doing_."

As much as she wanted to give the Kyuubey a solid punch, Louise doubted she could catch it without raising quite a ruckus. Beyond that, her hostility was evaporating fast in lieu of curiosity. Rubbing her new wound, Louise checked for bleeding, but found none. It still stung though. "_I will probably regret this,_" Louise thought back at the Kyuubey, "_But why did you just bite me?_"

Apparently assured that Louise was not about attack, the Kyuubey relaxed its posture and sat. "_Humans automatically correlate pain with actions even without causation. Since you seem to be unable to stop broadcasting that interference, I am taking a more direct approach to rectifying your problem. No need to praise me. It's not like I am improving you for your own sake. It is just necessary for me._" For a moment, Louise stood there baffled, trying to put together the Kyuubey's odd way of talking. Yet before she could ask it to clarify, it turned and darted off, leaving an even more baffled Louise in its wake.

* * *

><p>"And then, the black knight turned to Luke and said, 'No, <em>I<em> am your father.'" A multitude of gasps flitted through the gathered children as Saito revealed the world altering twist in his latest tale. Mutely, Louise wondered if this would have surprised her had she been paying more attention to the story. Instead, she had been stewing on her thoughts of her familiar and her sister. The sister in question had been allowed out of the room to listen to the story, but was forced to take the one cushioned chair for herself. Luckily, the children of Westwood Village were eager enough to meet their new guest that they formed a relatively effective buffer between the two sisters.

Louise didn't get to wonder long, as the front door opened revealing an evening sky accompanied by the returned Matilda. The gathered children were split between welcoming their matron and ushering Saito to continue. However, Saito had fallen silent upon seeing Matilda, a look passing between them. "Mati-Mom! Did you catch anything?" One of the younger children called out over the bustling of the excited kids.

"Not this time." She spoke to the young girl with a soft, restrained voice, "But I found some good tracks and I need Saito's super sight to help me look."

It was the eldest boy's turn to call out over the rabble. "Ha! Come on, even with Saito, you aren't going to catch anything in the winter. I told you hunting in the snow is pointless."

Rather than chastise the boy, Matilda just jerked her head, ushering Saito to come. Realizing that she would be without a conversation buffer, Louise found herself volunteering. "Can I come and help?" As soon as she spoke, Louise felt silly. She didn't know the first thing about hunting.

Yet, rather than immediately answer, the two hunters looked to each other for a moment before Saito shrugged, deferring to Matilda. The ex-thief herself appraised Louise for a moment before deciding. "Sure, you can come along. Suit up."

Bidding a weak apology to a slightly worried Cattleya, Louise supplied the usual excuse of needing to catch up with helping Westwood Village. Cattleya didn't press her sister, not wanting to pry. With a drawn out goodbye from the children and a doting farewell from Tiffania, the three figures left the house. The sun was falling fast as the two Westwood residents strode off with guest in tow. "Are you sure you can track in the dark?" Louise asked as they entered the forest. Wait… Now this was starting to get odd. Why would Matilda need Saito? Heck, why would she be hunting in the snow? They had more than enough supplies for the winter, she had helped store them.

Matilda stopped and turned to face Louise. The lights of Westwood village could still be seen through the trees. "We aren't hunting animals." Not hunting animals? Oh. Louise realized upon meeting Saito's hardened gaze. "A band of Reconquista deserters have set up camp too far into the forest. We are going to chase them out. There is a good chance this will turn bloody." Matilda spoke plainly, not hiding anything behind implied meanings. After a moment, Matilda relented in a softer voice, "You are free to go back and say we changed our minds or you got bored. But we couldn't explain inside, and another mage couldn't hurt if things go bad."

For a moment, Louise considered leaving. In all her fights so far, it had been a matter of reaction, a matter of defending herself or others from immediate harm. Now she would have no justifications. Saito and Matilda planned on an attack with lethal intent to protect Westwood Village from _possible_ harm. Not assured danger. _Possible._

Saito had done this before, Louise realized. Woods like these, bandits and deserters must have often got the idea to set up camp within them. And when he had killed the Cardinal, he had not shown any great revelation. That had not been his first kill. Seeing the boy in that new light, Louise was not reviled. She understood. These two protected the innocent lives of Westwood Village while treading a dark path. "I'll help." If anything, she owed them this much.

The three hunters made their way through the darkening forest. It was an old friend to Matilda. Even in the fading light she never lost her way. They walked for over an hour, long past the time when all but the faintest light left. When Matilda slowed her place to a crawl and ushered her companions to be silent, Louise withdrew her wand and strained her senses. The first sound of her quarry she heard was laughter. A great guffaw that carried well across the snow. "They're just ahead. Saito and I will put on a show. If everything goes smoothly, you won't have to do anything. But be ready to support us if things go south." Louise nodded, steeling herself for what was to come.

With careful precision, the three crept forward. The soft crunch of snow beneath their boots was drowned out by the roaring conversation of the camp they approached. When they stopped, Louise kept low beside Saito as he unslung his musket, setting the weapon against a tree. Wordlessly, Matilda gestured to the large man standing before the fire waving his arms to further accentuate his wild tale. He was no doubt the leader of the camp. Twenty or so men sat around the large fire laughing and cheering along with their leader's tale. From the few tents pitched further back, Louise guessed these twenty were the entire band. At least that was what she hoped. Each of these men was armed and large; definitely soldiers.

Without a word, Saito stood and strode out of the tree line, leaving his musket behind and his sword hidden beneath his cloak. Louise's breath hitched, realizing just what Matilda meant by putting on a show.

As Saito's boots crunched through the snow, he focused everything he had on quelling his fears. The camp fell silent almost immediately, the assembled men spotting the intruder. Saito stopped at the edge of the light, waiting for the men to speak first. Sure enough, it was the leader who spoke up. "Come to give us yer valuables boy? I can't say yer too bright." The deserters laughed at their leader's joke, momentarily blocking out the crackling of the fire. A couple of men rose and drew their weapons and moved to advance on the boy.

With one steadied breath, Saito began the show. "Boy?" He asked, confusion evident in his voice. Then, with a more thoughtful tone, he continued, "While I am young for a forest, I take some offence being called young by a human." The two men that had drawn their weapons stopped, confused by Saito's words. Taking advantage of the moment of attention, Saito pressed his story, "You children bring tools of death into my woods. You make your trade killing without merit. You taint this place with your very presence." With each word, Saito's voice darkened with controlled anger. "I'll give you this one chance. Lay down your arms, leave this place, and never return."

The assembled deserters' expressions ranged from growing fear, to confusion, to complete dismissal in the eyes of their leader. Stepping forward, the large man began, "Listen boy-"

Only to be silenced as one of his men grabbed his arm. "Capn'. Look at his face… It ain't right." On the edge of the firelight, the dancing flickers of flame enhanced Saito's angular, foreign features. Several men felt a pit grow in their stomach, realizing there was something ethereal about the figure before them. "You heard the stories; it's the spirit of the forest."

The Captain wasn't convinced. Deciding to end this little charade before his superstitious rabble turned coward, he dropped his voice and ordered his men. "Boyd, Gendry, gut the little bastard." The steel in their captain's voice snapped the two out of their hesitation and once again the pair from before advanced on the figure.

Saito held firm, silently feeling Derflinger on his back. However, this was not the time to draw steel. Raising his hand, he gestured to the two men dismissively. Roots of earth leapt from the ground at his apparent command as Matilda silently casted from the shadows. In an instant the two men were grappled by what appeared to be the forest itself. Each cried out in surprise, drowning out the gasps of their comrades. Before any of their friends could come to their aid, the roots pulled them down, dragging them bellow the earth and snow leaving only a patch of upturned earth behind.

Without their screams, only the crackling of the fire broke the silence of the night. "Demon." A man whispered. "The spirit of the woods." Another spoke in a hushed fear. "It's an old god." Yet another uttered.

Yet amongst the growing fear, one man knew only annoyed anger. The Captain reached into his cloak and withdrew a wand, something Saito and his unseen allies caught sight of with hitched breath. "You idiots! He's just got a mage hiding out in the woods! Stop being such superstitious farm-boys and think for once!" Casting a suspicious look into the woods, the Captain looked back to Saito and raised his wand. "Let's see how long your ally can keep you safe, kid."

As the Captain chanted his spell, Louise found her wand in her hand, only for her wrist to be grabbed by Matilda. The elder woman met Louise's gaze and shook her head. Biting her lower lip, Louise turned back to the camp in time to see a gout of magically conjured wind dart toward the ever still Saito.

Just as the spell seemed to about to split the young man in two, it fragmented around him, swirling impotently and disappearing into his cloak. Louise's eyes widened as she realized the source. She had known Derflinger could absorb magic, but to such an extent that it negated offensive spells? It was actually rather unnerving to think about artifacts with such power.

For once, the entire camp was stunned, including their Captain. It was up to Saito to break the silence. "You should not have done that, child of man." Gesturing once again, Saito seemingly summoned roots of earth to grasp the camp's leader.

The man cried out in surprised as his limbs were grasped and his wand torn away. His surprise turned to pain as the roots tightened and dragged him down. The man to his right tried to grasp his leader, but the roots were simply too strong. The man to the leader's left had another idea. Withdrawing a pistol, he leveled it at Saito in one motion. Still casting her entangling spell, Matilda's eyes widened with Saito's as they realized she would not be able to help him. "Let him go you dem-"

Fire erupted from the musket as Louise's magic forced a horrendous misfire. Metal and wood tore apart flesh as the pistol exploded in the man's hand. His scream of pain accompanied his Captain's for a moment, then he screamed alone as the Captain disappeared beneath the earth, then his scream was drowned out as the camp routed. Men cried out in fear as they ran; leaving their weapons behind with the apparition that had casually killed their leader. Soon, only one man remained, still cradling the hand Louise had ruined. Then, he too looked back to the waiting Saito. Fear forced his legs to move and he too disappeared into the night. Stumbling as forced himself to move, not looking back at the terror behind.

As the cries of the men faded into the forest, Saito waited. He waited as Matilda once more worked her magic. From the long and unfamiliar incantation, Louise guessed it was triangle level. Under her breath, Matilda spoke the spell's name, "Tremor Sense." Apparently satisfied with the spell, the ex-thief rose and called out to Saito. "All clear!"

For a moment, Louise expected the ever still Saito to remain standing there, immutable and inspiring fear in hardened men. She did not expect him to fall backward and collapse into the snow. Gasping in surprise, she hurried forward to the false apparition. Yet before she could reach him, he called out in a thoroughly more shaky voice. "God… I thought I was going to die!"

"If only I were so lucky." Matilda called back as she entered the light of the abandoned camp. Rather than shaken, she seemed as composed as ever.

Sitting up, now covered in dusty snow, Saito shot Matilda an annoyed glare. For once realizing that he wasn't going to win against Matilda, he instead turned to Louise, "Thanks for the save earlier. I owe you one."

A little embarrassed with the praise, Louise brushed it off, "We're even then." Trying to ignore her embarrassment, Louise moved toward the fire and looked around the camp. Spotting the two spots of upturned earth, Louise found herself wondering what they would do with the three captives. Then, as Matilda knelt by the fire to warm herself, Louise realized they had no captives. Swallowing, she spoke up before thinking, "Was it really necessary to kill them?" She half asked, half accused.

Matilda made no move to respond; instead it was Saito who spoke up, finally rising to his unsteady feet. "Yes." Louise rounded on Saito in the face of such a straight answer. He too moved toward the fire. "Without their leader to rally behind or weapons to fight with, most of those men will make their way back to whatever farm they call home." Then Saito grimaced, "The other two… Matilda and I have been constructing the rumor of the forest spirit for a month now, if people start talking about how it released them, we'll lose too much ground." He spoke as much to convince himself as Louise. "This way we only have to kill a few. If they don't fear the spirit, then we'd have to fight all of them."

Louise almost protested, but she held her tongue. That part of her that still demanded everything be done in the noble, honorable way was reviled by the idea of all this trickery and death. Yet she had seen hardships since she left her home behind. She had learned about the world. This trickery was smarter than direct fighting. It resulted in less death but it still bothered her.

The three sat in silence as they warmed themselves by the fire. The respite lasted only a few minutes before Matilda called for a march back home. Before leaving, Saito inspected the weapons let behind by the fleeing men, finding a few good swords; he stuffed them into his pack. Noticing Louise's odd look, he shrugged and spoke up. "Good steel sells pretty well." Apparently satisfied with his work, he nodded to Matilda. With a flourish of her wand, the earth mage conjured earthen roots once again to pull the remnants of the camp beneath the earth. Soon enough, the camp was buried down to the last tent, not even a charred block of firewood remained. Before long, even the upturned earth would be hidden by snow. It was… somber, Louise decided.

The sound of two claps drew Louise's attention to a bowing Saito. Though he looked odd, it was obviously some sort of prayer. In turn, Louise offered a prayer of forgiveness to Brimir. Even if these men had been deserters and bandits, they still deserved a prayer.

The walk back was quiet. Not out of necessity like the hike out, but out of sobriety. By the time they arrived at Westwood Village, the children had been put to bed and from the absence of both Cattleya and Montmorency; Louise guessed that the blonde had forced the recovering Valliere to bed as well. Only Tiffania remained waiting for them, yet she had fallen asleep in the large cushioned chair in the sitting room.

With hushed words, Saito and Matilda bid Louise a good night and carried Tiffania off to her bed. Left in the sitting room, Louise lingered. She was in no hurry to meet her sister. Even now she still wasn't sure how to talk to Cattleya. Instead, Louise took up sitting in that coveted cushioned chair and stewed on her thoughts. When she had left with Saito and Matilda, she had thought to clear her mind with some mindless hunting. Instead she had just become more stressed with the unforeseen turn of events.

Two red eyes watched Louise, drawing her gaze to the Kyuubey's resting place upon the window sill. Yet another of her current problems. "Not now." She spoke to it. "I have so much on my mind, it'll be a miracle if I get any sleep. If you want to act odd, wait until tomorrow."

Without a word, the Kyuubey hopped down and trotted over to the chair, stopping only to hop upon the armrest. Whatever, Louise dismissed it. Maybe if she ignored it, it would go away and she could go back to not thinking about recent events. A soft paw touched Louise's hand and the ring upon it. Then, before Louise could even question the contact, a wave of sleepiness took her so fast she was unconscious before her eyes finished closing.

* * *

><p>Louise woke when the first rays of the morning sun hit her eyes. The silence of the house told her it was still early. Funny, she didn't remember going to sleep last night. Stretching, Louise realized she was still in the sitting room, still in the winter coat from the night before. Lucky she didn't remove it or she might have caught a cold. While she had previously removed her snow pants, the Kyuubey sleeping her lap had kept her lower body warm.<p>

Wait.

Eyes snapping down, Louise spotted the white beast curled up on her lap. The jostle alerted the familiar and it was quick to leap off and spin on her. "You were sleeping on my lap." Louise stated.

The familiar's tailed whished back and forth. "_Sharing body heat lowers the amount of necessary calorie burn to maintain optimum body temperature. Every little bit helps stave off entropy._" The explanation filled Louise's head. "_Lowering your chance of exposure damage was simply a side benefit you gained. It was not my primary directive_." With that, the Kyuubey turned and began trotting off.

Nope. Louise was getting to the bottom of this. At least when the white devil was blatantly waiting for her to turn into a witch she knew where she stood. Now… Now she was getting worried. Standing, she kept her footsteps quiet as she followed the familiar toward the kitchen. Glancing over its shoulder, it spotted her, then disregarded her and sped up. In turn, she sped up and followed it. When it arrived in the kitchen, the Kyuubey leapt up onto the table and rounded on its pursuer. "_Why are you following me?_" Again its tailed started to swish back and forth.

Crossing her arms, Louise looked down at her familiar. It was always easier to just be blunt with the Kyuubey, so that was what she would do. "_You have been acting strange, especially since the battle with the Cardinal. I was patient with you, but time's up. Explain."_ Louise kept her conversation in thoughts, not wanting to disturb the household and draw an interruption.

"_I have explained_. _You are the one causing problems."_ If anything, the Kyuubey's tail sped up. "_If not for your continual interference broadcasting, I would be functioning at optimal performance."_ Standing, the beast began to pace. "_I shut down passive and active telepathy and you still broadcast. No matter the distance I put between us you still broadcast. You sleep, you broadcast. You wake, you broadcast. You _exist_, you broadcast!"_ It yelled. Louise was stunned. Never had the Kyuubey's voice wavered. Its volume never changed. Ever. "_That alone would have been enough, but then your broadcasts spike at random intervals. Do you know what fifteen terabytes of data a second does to my processing ability? Never mind how long it takes to sort through all that garbage data."_

Holding out a placating hand, Louise tried to calm the beast. "_Listen, I don't understand half of what you're saying. Honestly, I didn't even know I was broadcasting anything, so please don't get mad._"

Instantly the Kyuubey's pacing stopped and it rounded on Louise. "_I don't get mad! I don't have emotions!_" Wait. That was right. The Kyuubey was supposedly emotionless. It had always acted that way. Coldly logical and oblivious to any emotional reaction Louise and Montmorency had displayed. Now though… now it was acting mad. That was the only word for it. Louise's hand rose to her chin as she pondered, the pieces fitting together in her head. Broadcasting data to the Kyuubey that it didn't understand. Something that didn't have to do with its own telepathic abilities.

"I didn't fail at setting up the empathic link." Louise realized aloud, stilling the Kyuubey. "I figured I had messed up at always when I didn't feel any emotions, but you _had_ no emotions, so of course I would have felt nothing." Slowly, Louise's voice began to pick up as she put the pieces of the puzzle together. "You always complain of spikes when I go am dealing with too much and I push my emotions down. I'm forcing you to experience my emotions!" It made perfect sense! Louise had always known she had experience keeping cool in poor situations; her family and school life had given her that much. However, her will was not superhuman. If the Kyuubey said she was past the human limit at repressing the witch transformation, Louise was not so prideful to think her willpower held some great secret power. She had been dumping the emotions on the Kyuubey. That was when it started showing odd signs as well, pausing oddly, taking longer to reply than usual.

The Kyuubey was not excited with the solution to its problem, however. "_Are you telling me that I am experiencing emotions?"_ Its swishing tail froze and its voice returned to a steady volume. "_Emotions are a mental disorder in my race. Less than one in a billion experience them. Are you telling me you made me defective?"_ The tail went back to swishing madly. "_That makes me angry! Wait! I'm angry? That makes me angry!_ _Gah!"_ The Kyuubey leapt into action, racing around the table in a vain attempt to escape its own emotions.

While Louise held no love for her familiar, her vindictive streak had yet to recover from the previous night's outing. "I'm sure you are not defective…" She offered, trying to calm her odd, odd familiar.

With that, the beast stopped, turning to her slowly in realization. "_Of course. I am not defective. I was altered to experience emotions! This! This is a good thing!_" Carefully, Louise took a step back, best to put a little distance between her and her familiar. "_The whole point of turning humans into magical girls is to convert their emotions into free energy. If we could reproduce that in flash produced incubators, even at a fraction of the efficiency, think of the possibilities!"_ Louise barely kept up with the increasingly fast rant. "_Quick! Louise! Spike your emotions again! I need more data if I am to produce a repeatable program."_

Holding up a single finger, Louise stopped her familiar. "First off, I can't just have a panic attack and shunt my emotions over to you. Emotions don't work on command. Second off-"

"_Your body weight to height ratio is above the socially acceptable threshold! Your chances of finding a mate have dropped in proportion to your above average storage of calories!"_ Wait, what? "_Social stigma and blocked personal goals depress you! Despair! Now focus on sending that over to me!_" The Kyuubey watched the stunned Louise expectantly.

"Wait, did you just call me fat?" Louise was greeted with an expectant nod. "This is so weird. I think I preferred it when you were trying to burn my soul for entropy." The Kyuubey remained expectant. Deciding to make use of its attention, Louise continued where she had left off. "Secondly, what is an incubator?"

Its excitement wearing off, the Kyuubey spoke up, "_Kyuubey is the shortened name of Incubator."_ The information was dispensed as a matter of fact, and the revelation that came with the name was already known to Louise. She already knew the Kyuubey's goal was to see her hatch into a witch.

Wait, Incubator units. "Familiar, you are a Kyuubey, an Incubator, right?"

"_Yes. I don't see what this has to do with you sending me more complex emotion data._" The Kyuubey tilted its head, confused and annoyed at the change of topic.

Louise, on the other hand, was realizing something rather odd. "I never named you. I knew you were a Kyuubey, not named Kyuubey, but then there was the fight with Guiche, then Fouquet, I forgot."

"_That is irrelevant; I have an identification data packet already. You should focus on becoming depressed._" From the way its tail began to swish, Louise could tell she was beginning to annoy the Kyuubey. Now, her vindictive streak may have been beaten down pretty low. But, well, petty revenge against this thing had been out of her grasp ever since she first learned that her soul gem had a literal name.

So, with twisted glee, Louise ignored her familiar's pleas and focused on her own topic, not even trying to restrain her petty glee. "It is very relevant. What is this identification data package of yours? Is it an embarrassing name? Is that why you never told me?"

The Kyuubey stepped forward, its tail swishing madly. "_Embarrassing? Your human names are embarrassingly inefficient. You couldn't even comprehend my identification data packet."_ Louise raised an eyebrow, obviously doubtful of the Kyuubey's claim. Once again, negative impatience rose within the Kyuubey. Annoyance, it was labeled. "_Fine, comprehend._"

A sound unlike anything Louise had ever seen before filled her nose with a rough and sweet smell. Wait, what? "ID. 001001110… Then? Is that strawberry?" Louise wondered aloud, thoroughly baffled by what had just transpired.

His tail freezing, the Kyuubey was just as baffled, though for other reasons. "_To even comprehend the beginning. That is… odd_."

Rather than dwell on the oddity that had transpired, Louise returned to her vengeance. "Your name is Id?" She spoke aloud. She hadn't actually expected the Kyuubey to have a silly name. "Id_ is_ a pretty poor name." She spoke with mock sympathy.

"_That is incorrect. ID is short for identification."_

Louise, however, didn't care if it was the Kyuubey's true name or not. "_Regardless, you name is now Id, familiar. What a poor, poor name._" Ah, sweet justice.

The Kyuubey's tail was beginning to blur. "_Incorrect data! You! You corrupted data!_" With that insult, the Kyuubey darted off in a huff, leaving Louise in its wake. Yet this time she was not the stunned one left behind nor was she the one with a heavy heart. She was the one on top this time. Petty revenge… it was therapeutic if nothing else.

* * *

><p>As the rest of Westwood Village woke, Louise's brief emotion buoy of revenge slowly subsided and she was forced to once more stew on her problems of late. The Kyuubey, no, <em>Id<em> had disappeared so there was little she could do to bother the imp. That left either trying to make up her mind about last night, or talking to Cattleya.

It wasn't that she was disgusted with the death she had seen. She had seen death before in the battle against Albion's fleet. Rather, she was having trouble coming to terms with the part of her that agreed with Matilda's and Saito's actions. It went against her noble code, yet she still felt that logical part of her agree that their preemptive strike was the correct course of action. She had become very different than the person she used to be. Whether she was better or worse for it, she could not decide. So focused on that problem, she didn't sense Cattleya's presence until she felt a hand rest upon her shoulder. "Louise?" The elder Valliere questioned softly.

Turning to her elder sister, Louise fumbled over her words. "Er, you look better." She got out barely. Indeed, Cattleya was completely bandage free and most of her dead skin had flaked away. Once that finished, the only evidence of her brush with fire would be her thinned haircut. Cattleya's pink mane had needed pruning to remove the many singes.

Cattleya did not remove her hand from Louise's shoulder. Instead, she tightened her grip for a moment, "You can take as long as you want to talk to me. I'll wait." An excuse failed to form in Louise's mind, drawing a gentle smile for Cattleya. "I'm your sister, Louise, I can tell when something is bothering you. Just take some time to figure out how to say whatever you've been stewing on, okay?" All Louise's worries fell away. Now that Cattleya had spoken up, a weight had been lifted. With a silent nod, Louise returned Cattleya's offered embrace. After a moment, the two broke apart. "Just promise me you won't sneak off in the night again, alright?" Holding Louise at arm's length, Cattleya searched her young sister for confirmation.

Snorting at the lighthearted tone with which Cattleya addressed that fateful night, Louise nodded. "Thank you, Cattleya. I won't sneak off."

Happy with Louise's promise, Cattleya clapped the younger girl's shoulders once. "Good then. So stop your moping; it's worrying your little friend." With that, Cattleya offered her sister another embrace and turned to leave, only to have a hand grasp hers.

Turning back to Louise, Cattleya found her younger sister meeting her own gaze. Hidden in Louise's steeled eyes was the worry Cattleya knew well. Be it a failed spell or a broken vase, Louise always had sported that fear of disappointment. "When I made my wish for your health, there was a cost I was not aware of. My soul was separated from my body." Louise's hand slipped from Cattleya's and raised an egg shaped gem up. "This is my soul."

"It's beautiful." Cattleya spoke without hesitation, surprising Louise with her sincerity. This was a conversation Cattleya had long practiced. "I knew there might be some truth to the Cardinal's accusations, Louise, but I never once believed you were anything but good." Grasping Louise's hand and looking intently at her sister's soul, Cattleya continued. "You are my little sister, Louise. I love you. More than that, I know you. Even with everything you have gone through I can still see it in your eyes." The two sisters looked into each other's eyes, one surprised, the other confident. "You are good. If you became a demon, you would be a _good _demon. If you became a troll, you would be a _good_ troll. If you have become a lich, you are a _good_ lich."

Shaking her head, Louise pressed her sister. "You don't understand. Every time I use my Soul Gem's power I get closer to turning into some kind of monster. A witch." Louise stressed the danger of what that meant. "If that happens, I'll kill people, Cattleya. I won't be good then."

"That won't happen." Cattleya spoke with utter belief in her words. Speechless, Louise continued to listen to her sister's sincere words. "What someone may do doesn't matter, what they _do_ matters. What someone is doesn't matter, _who_ they are does. If the cardinal says you are evil, he is wrong. If the Pope says you are evil, he is wrong. If Brimir himself says you are evil. He. Is. _Wrong_."

In that moment of silence, Louise's face remained in a state of mute shock. Then, ever so slowly, it shifted. First to a teary smile, then it widened. To hear her sister say these things, it was good. The two Valliere sisters embraced, "Thank you, Cattleya." Louise spoke into her sister's chest. Even Louise didn't realize how much she needed her sister's acceptance.

* * *

><p>It was to be yet another calm day at Westwood Village; Montmorency was once again sitting in the kitchen, grinding another herb in her mortar with her worn pestle. Free of the heavy thoughts that plagued Louise, she had spent the past few days thinking of the adventure that had brought her to Westwood Village. Louise had explained their situation with magic and witches in detail some days before leaving for the Founder's Prayer Book. The clarification helped, and had spurred Montmorency to brew her latest potion. Something to boost her fighting ability untransformed.<p>

They had yet to ask Cattleya about the Founder's Prayer Book, or even about her supposed void magic. At first it had been obvious to just let the girl recover. However, now that she had recovered, Louise had yet to bring it up with her sister. It wasn't as though Montmorency didn't understand. Louise practically worshipped her elder sister sometimes and she was having trouble with telling Cattleya. Yet, Montmorency did not like sitting around now that they had two void mages and the Founder's Prayer Book. She wanted an answer.

_Crack._

The hard pestle had pierced though her mortar. Buried in her thoughts, she had not restrained her strength. A sour look splayed across her face as she cleaned. She would need to ask Matilda to transmute another for her. Just another thing to be anxious about, she figured. Placing the last of the stone shards in the garbage, Montmorency turned her thoughts back toward the problem of the void mages.

However, from the cheery face that Louise sported as she entered the kitchen, Montmorency suspected she needn't worry. "Cattleya and Tiffania are going over the Founder's Prayer Book." Louise spoke, knowing her friend's thoughts.

With a breath of relief, Montmorency set her tool down. "That's good news. Still though, is that even the right one? The pages were blank."

A rough voice spoke, startling both the girls, "A void mage can read the spells when they're ready." Derflinger interjected from his place on the counter.

Flustered, Montmorency shot the sword an annoyed glance. While the info was nice to have, the sword could have announced itself long ago. "What are you doing out here? Doesn't Saito usually keep you with him?" Indeed, it was odd to see the sword far from Saito's side.

The sword chortled, obviously caught up in its own humor. "The little dud got a bit mad when I told a joke. I'm on 'Time out' apparently." Laughing once again, the sword rattled in humor. "Hey, tell me what is wrong with this. A nun and a tribesman are having an argument-"

"That kind of humor is not fit for children." Matilda interjected, entering the kitchen. "Let me guess, you thought your joke was best heard by the kids?" From the sword's renewed laughter, Matilda knew she was spot on. Rolling her eyes, Matilda turned to the two respectable occupants of the room. "Tiffania told me she and your sister are going to be working on their magic today, that means we are going to take care of the kids. Sound good?"

As the whole point of Tiffania's and Cattleya's practice was for their benefit, Montmorency and Louise saw no reason to refuse. The rest of the day was spent working with Saito and Matilda to run the orphanage. The simple labors helped keep their anxious minds off the efforts of the two void mages.

Time marched on and soon enough it was time to put the children to bed, something only possible with the promise of another outlandish tale from Saito. With their task done, Saito and Louise made their way down the hall back toward the sitting room. "Really, that young girl in your story is entirely too violent to be making so many friends. Where do you get all these stories? Were you a bard back in Japan?"

Louise frowned a little at Saito's chuckle. "Nah, I just spent too much time on the internet." Knowing enough to not bother asking what an internet was, Louise allowed Saito his own inside joke and opened the door to the sitting room. The rest of the adults had assembled and a heavy air hung over the room. Tiffania fidgeted nervously. Montmorency sat with anticipation. Even the normally cool Matilda was quite bothered, sitting off from the group with a sour expression. From Cattleya's somber look, Louise prepared herself for harsh news.

Sitting down next to an anxious Montmorency, Louise waited expectantly. After a moment, Cattleya took the initiative, "I spent the day teaching Tiffania everything I know about the book, limited as that is. However, we ran into a few problems." Taking a breath, she continued, "Firstly, I seem to be unable to cast any spells, probably due to overcasting." Louise bit her lip to keep from interrupting. Magic loss due to overcasting was a rare thing. Logically, Louise remembered that almost every case was resolved as soon as the mage had enough time to recover their willpower, but she still felt for how her sister must be feeling. "More importantly, the book has only ever responded to a desperate need, when I was in danger. We couldn't get it to reveal any new spells."

"You are kidding me!" Montmorency exclaimed, rising in her frustration. "After all this? A dead end? There must be something!" Louise's hand found Montmorency's arm. Though not as animated, Louise was panicking as well. Still, she held her emotions down. At the very least, her damn familiar would be happy. "Sorry," Montmorency spoke, calming down, "But you aren't telling us that there's no hope right?"

A restrained voice left Cattleya. "When I had full access to my magic, I tried everything to get the book to reveal its secrets to me and Tiffania is an amateur at magic. Frankly, we could spend months fiddling with this book and find nothing; neither of us knows where to start." Louise's breath hitched. "But, I have an idea." Suddenly, Louise's and Montmorency's focus doubled. "I happen to know a professor who is an expert in old magical histories. Her studies have made her an expert on magical books out of necessity. Even better, she has spent the past weeks studying liches and the old tales of Brimir in great detail."

Wait a second. This was sounding too good to be true. Louise furrowed her brow, how many professors did Cattleya even know? Then, it clicked, "You don't mean-"

"Big sis Eleanor, of course." Cattleya smiled innocently, apparently oblivious to what she was suggesting.

Louise restrained her breath as she digested the idea. Then, after putting her thoughts in order, she began, "Cattleya, Montmorency and I are wanted people. Travelling is dangerous enough, but if we sneak into Eleanor's Academy we could put her in great danger." Beyond the danger, Louise did not like the idea of travelling once again toward, at best, a possible solution.

Still, Cattleya remained optimistic. "Well, we won't be going into the Academy. Eleanor acquired a cabin and some land recently so she could study in peace."

"Hold on." Louise interjected, catching what Cattleya had said. "We? You don't mean-"

"I am coming with you of course." Cattleya spoke up, interjecting in return. "I chased you across the continent, Louise. If you try to lose me again, I'll just keep chasing you." The smugness in Cattleya's voice was foreign to Louise. She was used to a softer Cattleya. "So I'll be joining you, Louise."

Scoffing, Louise looked at her sister incredulously. Cattleya showed no sign of backing down, and Louise quickly realized her sister was serious. Even if she left Cattleya behind, the elder Valliere would simply follow her. "It doesn't matter anyway." Louise changed tactics, "By your own admission you can't cast magic right now, so we might as well wait."

"_That would be a bad idea._" A high pitched voice filled the heads of the room's occupants. It was then Louise noticed her familiar sitting atop the window sill. "_You may be fine right now, but just powering your bodies takes magic, however small. Eventually you will darken to the point of transformation_."

Before Louise could respond, Cattleya picked up where the Kyuubey had left off. "I talked to Mister Kyuubey about this, and that is why we should go to Big sis Eleanor as soon as possible. As for void magic, we'll have Tiffania along so it should be fine."

Louise was still getting used to the idea of Cattleya accompanying her, but Tiffania as well? "You can't possibly ask that of Tiffania!" Whirling to Tiffania, Louise looked at her with apologetic eyes. "We are very thankful for everything you have done for us, we would never presume to take you from your children." What was Cattleya thinking?

Tiffania showed no surprise however, only mustered determination. "Actually, it is I who am asking you to take me." For a second, Louise nearly let her jaw drop in surprise. Anyone could see how much the gentle Tiffania cared for her children. Beyond that, there was no way the protective Matilda would let Tiffania leave. Looking toward the ex-thief, Louise found only a sour look of resignation. "From your own words, the Church is looking for me. We have already had a few run-ins with them over the past few months. I can't keep mind wiping them forever, I need to find out what the church wants with the void mages."

"Tiffania," Saito spoke up in surprise. Apparently this was all news to him as well. "Are you sure about this?" Turning to the boy, Louise looked at him in surprise. She knew how much he cared for Tiffania, so she had assumed he would be against the idea.

With a nod, Tiffania continued, "You need me for my void magic, and I need someone who knows how to travel out of the public eye. Being an elf is just as punishable as being a heretic." That much, Louise could accept. Still, travelling with two extra people would be difficult. Three, if she knew Saito well enough.

"I'm coming too." Saito spoke up with conviction. Well, at least she still could read simpletons like Saito well enough.

Better than Tiffania apparently, as the girl's eyes widened in surprise. "Saito, I have already done enough by summoning you from your home. I would never force you on such a dangerous journey."

Scoffing, Saito blew off the half-elf's worries. "You don't get a choice, master. I am your familiar, after all." Tiffania puffed out her cheeks, not liking being addressed as master. "Besides, your sister wouldn't be letting you go if she didn't expect me to come along." Saito shot a knowing glance over to where Matilda glowered.

The thief rolled her eyes at Saito's smug look. "One of us needs to stay and look after the kids, and Saito can barely cook, let alone watch after these rascals. Otherwise I'd be coming and he'd be staying. Look after him, okay Tiff?" Looking between her sister and familiar, Tiffania could only give up in the face of their joint insistence.

Finally speaking up, Montmorency kept her exasperation well hidden, "So, now we get to go on another journey? This time with a proper band of misfits? Louise, do you really think this is a good idea?"

Turning to meet her friend, Louise stewed on the plan. The idea was not pleasing. They had already reached one goal and received only a vague hope rather than an actual solution. To rush off again on a similar vague hope… it was tiring. But it was also their only hope. "It's the best and only idea we have."

For a moment, Louise expected Montmorency to scoff. As restrained as she was, Louise could tell her friend was frustrated. Instead, Montmorency nodded. "Right then, Cattleya is obviously capable and we owe Saito and Tiffania, I'll follow your lead Louise."

Despite the heavy air, Cattleya never lost her cheer. "All right then, it's settled. When shall we leave?"

Louise spoke out of hand, "In a few days, the snow should be mostly melted by then." With the idea of travelling in mind, Louise's hand cupped her chin. "We'll need to find transport down. Matilda, would you happen to know of any airships we could trust to be quiet?"

The thief grinned in a way that put Louise slightly on guard. "I think I can help you with transport. We'll talk later; I'll need to prepare a few things."

Nodding with a defensive look, Louise shook off her worry as she caught sight of Cattleya's starry eyed look. "Little Louise, you have grown up so well. Already taking charge and making a clever plan." Cattleya's voice had such pride; Louise had no time to prepare when the excited Cattleya captured her in an embrace. As Louise was slowly crushed, she noticed Montmorency slink off now that the conversation was over, a stressed look in her eyes.

* * *

><p>After freeing herself from her overly proud sister, Louise sought out her wayward friend. It didn't take long to find her. Montmorency had stepped out the back door and was standing in the night air. Puffs of air left her mouth and condensed in the cold. Louise grabbed a spare coat from the rack and put it on as she stepped out, closing the door behind her. "You'll catch your death out here." Louise spoke the words lightly, trying to ease her friend's worries.<p>

Montmorency ignored the small talk. "Louise, how much longer can we keep doing this?" Louise had no answer for her friend. Her eyes fell to the ground at the harsh words. Not looking back, Montmorency continued, "First we tried the Pope, then we tried finding a void mage, then we went after the Founder's Prayer Book, now we are going to your sister in hopes that she might be able to help. Our ideas are getting more and more desperate. How long can we keep trying?"

Fist clenched, Montmorency pressed her hand to her chest, feeling her own heartbeat. "We keep trying, for as long as it takes." Conviction filled Louise's voice. "If this doesn't work, we find a new hope. We'll keep on hoping and trying. We'll keep on going as long as it takes, Montmorency. We'll become human again. We can do it."

"Can we?" Montmorency spoke as she turned to her friend. Weakness filled her eyes as she met Louise's own. Reaching into her pocket, Montmorency retrieved her pestle. The small stone club was cold to the touch. Grabbing it with both hands, Montmorency grunted with effort.

_Crack._

The stone pestle split in two under the strength of Montmorency. Louise stood silent as Montmorency let the stone fall into the snow. "I'm getting stronger, Louise. Slowly, I'm getting closer to my transformed strength." Montmorency looked to her empty hands. "I'm becoming less human, Louise. How long before I reach the point of no return?"

Louise had no answer for her friend. However, another did, "_You are already past that point._" The Kyuubey's voice once again filled the two magical girls' heads. It joined them in the snow, not meeting their eyes as they whirled on it. "_I told you once when you asked on our way to Romalia and I will repeat it. There is no way to return to being a regular human after becoming a magical girl._" Louise remembered the conversation, just as she remembered her answer. Yet before she could once again deny the Kyuubey, it continued. "_However, that doesn't mean you cannot return to your previous standing in society. Find out what your society knows of liches from your sister and then figure out how to subvert that. If you can pass that test, you will be cleared of charges, correct?_" Once again Louise failed to respond, though this one out of surprise at the sincere helpfulness of the Kyuubey. "_As for your darkening soul gems, that Pope of yours had enough grief seeds to last you a lifetime just on his hat; assuming you refrain from transforming, that is. Simply acquire those._"

Still stunned, Louise could only listen to Montmorency's response. Measured and obviously hiding her earlier weakness from the newcomer, she questioned the Kyuubey. "Why help us?" She spoke curtly.

At her words, the Kyuubey's tail shifted and it looked toward the girls. Then, meeting Louise's eyes, it looked away and swished its tail again. "_Continued data streaming is my current primary objective. Just be grateful that necessitates your continued survival."_

Its piece said, the Kyuubey returned to the house, leaving the two magical girls behind. "What happened to him?" Montmorency spoke up, intrigued and calming down.

"It's a bit of a story, why don't I tell you inside?" Louise responded, leading her friend back inside Westwood Village.

* * *

><p>Silent as the wind, a beast part eagle and part lion glided through the night. Dark as it was, its rider found his destination with ease. Easing up on his mount's reigns, the rider guided his stead downward until it landed with barely a noise on the forest floor. Looking up, studied his contact. The woman was and in shadow, but he had seen her face before. He remembered the strange markings and stern gaze. He did not remember her steed, a flat, floating golem not unlike the sting rays he had seen in southern Romalia once. When he made to introduce himself, the woman merely held her off hand up, silencing him while she continued to look through a spyglass with the other. After a moment, she relented and collapsed her spyglass. "Wardes." She tersely greeted the rider.<p>

Not to be deterred, Wardes kept his politeness about him. "My lady. Would it not be easier to observe them from a closer location?" Truly, that spyglass must have been one of her artifacts because there was no way she had a direct line of sight through a mile of forest to Westwood Village.

The woman shook her head, "By all accounts your fiancé has an invisible familiar, I won't fail my master due to overconfidence. Besides, I have other eyes and ears scouting the surrounding area." Behind her, Wardes rolled his eyes at the woman's blind devotion to Joseph. "Why are you here? Didn't Master give you a mission?"

Realizing that he would get no pleasantries, Wardes cut to the chase. "King Joseph just wanted me to make sure you didn't need my assistance."

Cloaked as she was, Wardes could tell the woman had tensed at the implication that she was insufficient. Calming herself, she replied evenly. "If they are as dangerous as you say, we will need to wait until they leave. You will have time to carry out your… menial task Master has given you."

As if he had tasted something bitter, Wardes' face contorted for a brief moment, then he let it go. "Very well, try not to fail in my absence." With that, Wardes once again flew into the night sky. He had his own task to do.

Watching the man go, the woman felt at ease. She did not trust Wardes. The man was twice again a traitor and would surely betray her master the second he got the chance. She much preferred that which she could control, like the many golems combing the forest or the thralls she raised to turn on their former country during the Advent Festival.

Settling down, the woman once again prepared to watch her quarry when one of her golems found something that snapped her attention away. Eyes wide, a smile crept across her face as she focused on what her golem had found. The prize was damaged to be sure, but not beyond the power of her ring. Most definitely not.


	13. Chapter 13: Reuniting

**A/N: It's ALIVE! Yes, I am in fact taking this up once more. For those who follow my other work I have been messing around with small stuff to get back in the writing groove. **

**I'll start off saying that this is not my best chapter. Truth is I'm out of practice, but I have tried to finish this chapter and given up on the story so many times I think its imperative I just get it out and move on. That said, please don't hold back on the constructive criticism. I need it more than ever to get going again.**

**I can't promise when the next chapter will be out. I'll be working on it every day for at least an hour at a time. But I'm still not back in my serious writing groove yet, so I can't promise how fast that'll be. **

**I would like to make a special mention to my Beta, A Dark Alias. No, he's more like an editor. The guy does excellent work all around and when I contact him after half a year of silence, he just picks right on up editing. So here's to you, A Dark Alias.**

**Chapter 13: Reuniting**

* * *

><p>The ground was damp with melted snow. Saito's boots sunk slightly into the loose earth as though the strange place he had come to belong was trying to keep him from leaving. Belong… it was still odd to accept what that meant. Back in Japan, Saito had been an unremarkable young man. Average grades, average athleticism, and an average family. He was a bit thick at times, but even that didn't particularly define him. His family was loving, but hardly expected much from him; heck, he hadn't expected much from himself either.<p>

Then one day he had ended up in some fantasy setting as the familiar of a half-elf with ridiculously large breasts. At the time he had thought that meant he was about to be asked to save the world with the elf and a surly dwarf and other fantastic companions they'd meet along the way. Instead, Tiffania had explained that it was all a mistake, and how she was quite intent on continuing to watch over her orphans. Saito had scoffed at the silliness of the anti-climactic scenario, but tried to make the best of his situation anyway. It didn't take long for him to realize that this is what he wanted; helping these kids and living peacefully. It was tough, stressful, and often times just plain tiresome to watch after the many orphans of Westwood Village, but it felt good. It felt right.

But now… now he had to leave. Saito kept his breath even and quelled the anxiety within his chest. He would need to be strong for Tiffania. The half-elf herself was busy giving a hug and a kiss to each of her children.. Some cried, some made her promise to come back soon, and others looked at her with stubborn blame. Tiffania patiently bid farewell to all her children, comforting each of them and promising that she would return as much to herself as to them. She was loving. Saito could think of no better description for his master.

Caught up in watching Tiffania, Saito didn't notice little Lily until she tugged his sleeve. Looking down, Saito immediately smiled for the small girl. She looked up and asked, "You'll come back too?"

Saito's heart seized a little at the young girl's question. Kneeling down, he embraced Lily and spoke slowly; so as to keep his voice from cracking. "Of course, we'll both come back. I promise." Apparently that had been enough to draw the other children to Saito, and soon enough those who had already said their goodbyes to Tiffania were lining up to do the same for Saito.

The loving scene only made Montmorency more anxious to leave. It was irrational, but the children were making her feel like the bad guy for taking Tiffania and Saito from them, even though it was Tiffania who asked to come with them. Holding her tongue, Montmorency inspected the other members of their would-be travelling party. Cattleya waited serenely in the back, checking the straps on the tower shield Matilda had transmuted for her and stealing happy glances at her sister. Said sister Louise was speaking with Matilda, the elder woman pointing to a map as they went over the travel plans one last time. Montmorency herself checked her bag's straps again, for lack of anything else to do. She half wanted to get out the mortar and pestle Matilda had transmuted for her and grind some herbs to relieve the stress. It was too bad Matilda had to stay behind; a triangle class earth mage had turned out to be very useful.

When the children finally broke away from the two residents of Westwood Village, Saito and Tiffania picked up their own bags and joined the group. Each offered little waves to the assembled children that watched them. Louise, noticing that they were ready to leave, rolled up the map Matilda had given her and bid a formal farewell to her one time captor. Matilda herself intercepted her sister, "You keep safe Tiffania." The half-elf embraced her sister in kind and gripped hard. Only muffled promises escaped her throat, still choked up from speaking to her children.

"I'll come back, Sister Matilda. I promise." The two sisters of Westwood village embraced firmly. When they broke apart, Matilda held her sister at arm's length and stared into her eyes. With a nod, Matilda found what she was looking for.

Turning to Saito, Matilda steeled her voice. "You keep your head about you, kid. I taught you what I could, remember it." Saito nodded, accepting his teacher's command. Matilda grasped the younger boy's shoulders. "Protect Tiffania." She ordered.

"With my life." Saito answered honestly. He did not see the blonde blush behind his back, but Matilda did. Rolling her eyes, she offered a smile to Saito. "Off with you kids. While there is still light out." With that, the remaining residents of Westwood village waved and called out to the five travelers until they had disappeared into the forest. Heard only to herself, Matilda whispered. "Come back, both of you."

* * *

><p>With the snow melted and the morning sun shining, the journey through the forest progressed much faster than their last excursion. Saito and Tiffania remained silent, obviously still drained from their departure, though Montmorency had joined them in silence, something that drew Louise's attention. Was the girl still anxious about what they had talked about that night? That foolish familiar of hers had certainly been a bit harsh. Id himself was trailing the party, his eyes only averting when Louise caught them. Louise did not get to think long, as Derflinger broke the silence tactlessly. "So why haven't you summoned a familiar?" It asked Cattleya out of the blue.<p>

A slight falter in Cattleya's step was noticed only by Louise as she was the only one who knew to expect it. "I summoned a familiar long ago, when I was a child." Cattleya spoke softly, a hint of sadness in her voice. "His name was Jibble. He was the cutest field mouse you ever saw." Only Louise's eyes remained averted from Cattleya, she had been too young to remember Jibble, but she knew how the story ended. "I was sick back then and I could rarely leave my bed, but Jibble kept me company." Cattleya smiled at the memory. "However, I was too sick to maintain the summoning contract properly, so I couldn't grant him a familiar's longevity. He died about a year after I summoned him. I decided then not to summon another familiar, instead I started taking in animals and helping them like Jibble helped me." The sad fondness in Cattleya's voice commanded silence from the group.

Well, silence from all save a certain tactless sword. "So? You are a Void mage now, so you'll summon a human familiar… or something close to a human, not an animal."

Turning her head to look at the sword, Cattleya offered a gentle smile and shook her head. "All the more reason not to summon a familiar. Saito was lucky to have wanted to be summoned, there is no promise I will not steal someone from their family."

Derflinger rattled in response to Cattleya's kind selflessness. "Bah! You are a void mage, you should summon! I'll help you right now. You don't even need a magic circle as a void mage. Just call out for a familiar and your magic will react! Maybe even the Gandalfr will be summoned!"

At the mention of Gandalfr, Saito unslung his sword and glared at it. "So that's what this is about. You just want to find the Gandalfr." Smacking his forehead in shame of his sword, Saito looked apologetically to Cattleya.

Again Derflinger rattled. "I am the great Derflinger! I am meant to be wielded by the Gandalfr, not some useless dud!" Saito slammed the sword down into its sheath in response, wrestling with the animate weapon. The two shot insults back and forth. 'Rusty kitchen knife' and 'musket lover' were the loudest among them.

The insults only stopped when a giggle escaped Cattleya's lips. With the two's attention drawn to the giggling Valliere, she spoke, "You two are quite good friends." Saito's eyebrow rose incredulously before he slung the sword back over his shoulder. Averting his gaze from the giggling Valliere.

"Hardly." Derflinger spoke, "He is just an acceptable partner for now. Maybe someday he'll be worthy of wielding me."

Cattleya's continued giggle only drew more indignant grunts from Saito and his sword. Concerned for her familiar, Tiffania spoke up, "I'm sure Saito will be a worthy swordsman for you Mr. Derflinger. He is very strong." Saito's annoyance was forgotten at Tiffania's praise.

Blushing, Saito hid a smile and hurried forward. "Right then!" He nearly shouted, "Where to first?" Saito asked, still much too loud, when he fell in line with Louise at the head of the party.

Louise smirked to herself and allowed the boy to hide his affections, "Actually, we are about to reach our first stop." As she spoke, the party left the tree line and entered a clearing. There, tethered to a tree, a large raft hovered. Saito let out a low whistle. He had seen airships in the distance before, but never up close. Raising her finger, Louise began lecturing to the less travelled members of the party. "This landing boat that Matilda's," Louise paused and tried to think of the best way to say shady underworld connections, "er… friends provided has enough power left in its windstones to coast to Tristain from the edge of Albion. Then we'll make for Tarbes, Montmorency and I have friends near there and that will give us a safe place to rest."

* * *

><p>The walk from the clearing to the edge of Albion was much easier with their bags stowed in the landing boat. Hovering as it was, the raft required little force to move. Soon enough, the group had arrived at the edge of Albion. Rivers ran off the edge of the sheer cliff face. The waterfalls fell through the clouds that floated below like a vast ocean of slowly shifting cotton. Birds flitted in and around the cliff face, landing in their precarious nests to feed their young. For a moment the group forgot the task at hand and simply took in the view. "This really is a fantasy world… Flying an airship off the edge of a floating country." Saito spoke in wonder.<p>

Mutely, Louise corrected him. "Landing boat; it only coasts downward." She would have explained the minute details of windstone alchemy but the view was truly mesmerizing. Once the moment had ended, she steeled herself for the task at hand. Reaching to take hold of the rope attached to the raft, she found Montmorency had already grabbed it. From the look on her face, she was struggling with something. Concerned, Louise caught her friend's eye and shot her an unspoken question.

With a steadied breath, Montmorency began. "Everyone." The weight of her tone drew the attention of the rest. "I have something to say. You are all going to agree to this, or I am not letting you go on this journey." Three stiffened at Montmorency's anxious, yet steeled voice. "This goes for you as well Louise." Now all four stiffened. Turning to Saito, Montmorency accused, "Saito, you said you would defend Tiffania with your life." Then she turned to Cattleya, "You stood against an army of 70,000, buying time for others with your life." Finally, she rounded on Louise, "You tried to sacrifice yourself when the Cardinal was attacking us." Despite speaking of heroic acts, only distaste filled Montmorency's voice. "If any of you succeed in sacrificing your life for someone else, how do you think they would feel? I know I wouldn't have been able to go on if Louise had died for me." Anxiousness faded and courage filled Montmorency's voice. "None of you are allowed to sacrifice yourselves. We all survive; we always take the option where we _all_ survive." Montmorency's eyes locked onto Louise's own pink, seeking acceptance.

As the weight of Montmorency's demand fell on the group, they all began to realize she was right. Tiffania could not bear the thought of Saito sacrificing himself, and Louise knew Cattleya would lay down her life for her. Such thoughts were filled with fear. Finally, it was Saito who spoke up and broke the silence. "So we're going for the golden ending then? I can get behind that." The lightness of his tone broke the heavy atmosphere.

Free from her heavy thoughts, Louise nodded. "Agreed, I promise not to sacrifice myself, Montmorency."

"Me too." Cattleya spoke up, beaming at Montmorency.

"I as well." Tiffania agreed, stealing a glance at Saito.

For the briefest of moments, Montmorency studied the group. Then, accepting that they were serious, allowed herself a relieved smile. "Good, then let's go."

With that, two magical girls, two humans, one half-elf, a sword, and an Incubator boarded the life raft and left Albion behind, descending into the clouds below; ready for what was waiting in the future.

* * *

><p>Descending in the raft turned out to be far from the pleasant downward drift Louise had imagined. Falling through the cloud layer had dampened everything with condensed rainwater, and the strong winds that came after chilled everyone all the more with their wet clothing. Huddled to one side, Tiffania and Saito held each other for warmth, though from Saito's flushed face, the cold was far from his mind. Cattleya sat in the back, one hand on the boat rail and another on the rudder, keeping it straight and keeping their group on course. Montmorency sat across from the elder Valliere, giving Cattleya an odd look. Until Cattleya had taken over, Montmorency had been on rudder duty. Louise suppressed the urge to sigh. Despite Montmorency's fear of her growing strength, she still felt the need to do all the heavy lifting. That blockhead could be so stubborn sometimes.<p>

One check of Louise's compass confirmed they were still on course. Turning toward Cattleya, Louise offered a thankful smile for her sister's work. Looking at Cattleya warmed Louise. Her sister, healthy and vibrant, really made it seem like all the trouble Louise had been through was worth it. To think her sister, Cattleya the sickly Valliere, had become a hero of Tristain's army; it was unreal. Thinking of Cattleya fighting was an odd thought; one Louise wasn't entirely comfortable with. Even knowing that Cattleya was healed by her and took up arms for her, the idea of her gentle idol inflicting harm caused Louise's eyes to fall. As they fell, Louise noticed Cattleya's sword-wand at her hip and stopped. It looked strangely familiar. Raising her voice, Louise spoke over the winds, "That sword. We had to pry it from your hand." Louise stewed on the idea of her sister using a weapon.

Looking down at the blade, Cattleya smiled. Her warm smile was dimmed only slightly as a gust of wind tossed a handful of her own hair up into her face. "It was Mother's. I took it without asking. I shudder to think what she'd do if I lost it after stealing it!" Though Cattleya chuckled at the rebellious memory, Louise paled. For better or worse, Cattleya had never truly seen their mother angry. The thought of her mother took Louise's smile from her. Eyes downcast, Louise wondered what her mother thought of her. A lich on the run. "Mother loves you!" Cattleya called out over the wind, as if reading her younger sibling's mind.

It was a statement of fact. So sure was Cattleya's voice it shocked Louise out of her worry. Once again, a smile returned to Louise's face. "Thank you." Shaking off the cold, Louise decided to be active. Best to work off those worries after all. Shuffling over to Cattleya, Louise reached forward for the rudder. "Here, let me take a turn."

As Louise's hands closed around the rudder and Cattleya released, Montmorency spoke up in a worried voice. "Louise, I wouldn't-" Montmorency's warning came too late as a gust of wind whipped the rudder from Louise's hands. The craft jolted, swerving madly without control. With inhuman reflexes, Montmorency's hands caught the rudder in an instant and held the boat steady. As quickly as the mad tumble had started, it ended. The five travelers let out nervous breaths, letting their tightened muscles relax. "It's harder than it looks." Montmorency finished with a pained voice.

Nerves still shaken, Louise smiled nervously at her mistake. Looking at her hands, and then to Cattleya, she nervously joked. "Just how strong are you?"

Though Cattleya responded with an equally shaken smile, another voice answered. "_As strong as is physically possible for a human, maybe more._" Silent throughout, it finally decides to speak. Turning to her familiar, Louise quirked an eyebrow. "_You wished for her to be healthier without words, without a defined end. The more despair a girl has, the stronger her wish; and you had an inordinately despair filled life. Even if that despair was simply the product of entitled assumptions of your high social status._" Ignoring the obvious attempt to rattle her emotions once again, Louise thought on her familiar's words. With no end goal, she had just put all the power of her wish into making Cattleya healthier? The idea of limits on a wish also intrigued Louise, but she discarded the idea. She wouldn't be letting Id contract any more girls. Realizing Louise was more intrigued than depressed, Id's tail swished for a moment before it turned and looked away.

Louise turned back to Cattleya to find her strangely withdrawn. Yet before Louise could inquire, Montmorency spoke up. "I see the forest, everyone get ready to land." With her train of thought broken, Louise found a handhold and looked over the edge of the boat. Sure enough, a familiar forest was in full view. Pensive as she was, Louise could not help but smile at the thought of seeing Professor Colbert and Siesta again.

* * *

><p>Leaving a drained and useless landing boat behind, Louise and Montmorency led the group deeper into the woods. While Tarbes hadn't seen much snow, the heavy rainfalls of winter had thoroughly soaked the pine forest. No longer worried about setting the raft on fire, Louise went about drying the groups clothing with a small flame spell. Something Cattleya praised her to no end for. Hiding a blush, Louise quickened the group's pace.<p>

The journey through the tunnel was far easier now that they had made the journey once. With a small ball of flame before her, Louise pretended not to notice Saito's embarrassed discomfort as Tiffania clung to his arm for fear of slipping on the uneven terrain. Time crept by as the group made the underground journey with only idle chat passing between them. With each step, Louise and Montmorency became slightly more hurried, eager to return to their old friends.

By the time the group exited the tunnel and entered the valley forest, they were practically at a light trot. A smile passed between the two girls as they hurried, group in tow, toward the hangar. With a small bit of glee, the two girls broke through the treeline and into a familiar clearing. Yet as they gazed upon the first real safe haven they had found on their journey, their hearts sank. The hangar doors stood open, and the Dragon's Raiment was gone. While that that chilled Louise's heart, what her eyes found next completely froze it.

Two unmarked gravestones were planted to the right of the hangar.

"Don't move." A cold voice sounded from behind Louise. Cold, yet also familiar. Turning, Louise's surprised eyes met the equally surprised eyes of Tabitha. "Louise." Tabitha spoke, lowering her staff as she did. In silence, the five travelers turned to Tabitha with varying degrees of recognition.

"Miss Valliere?" The second familiar voice Louise heard caused her heart to leap with joy. Peeking out from behind a tree, Siesta stood with a slowly growing smile. "Miss Valliere!" She called happily.

Yet another voice joined the group as a high, theatrical voice cried out. "Worthless Vagabonds! You'll find no hapless victims here!" Kirche Zerbst jumped out from the hanger with her usual flair for theatrics. "Montmorency? Zero? Ha ha!" She cried out triumphantly, lowering her wand. "Tabitha you were right! They did come back here!"

Tension gone, Tabitha planted her staff upon the ground and nodded. "Indeed."

After introductions and promises that everyone was friendly and not 'vagabonds' the group found themselves resting around a quickly conjured fire with the current residents of the hidden valley. Louise, still anxious from before, was quick to voice her worries, "I'm glad you are alright Siesta, when I saw those gravestones, I thought… Is Professor Colbert okay?" She almost wished she hadn't asked, the possible answers scared Louise.

A pained look crossed Siesta's face, "Professor Colbert left not long after you did. The church came back in larger numbers and took the Dragon's Raiment, saying it was cursed. He left soon after that…" Siesta felt a hint of betrayal, then more pain for such feelings. Professor Colbert was a noble; he couldn't hang around protecting a maid his whole life. "Those gravestones, they belong to…"

Tabitha, of all people, interrupted, "People who don't deserve any words." There was a look of distaste on the usually immutable girls face.

Speaking up, Siesta tried to explain, "Some men arrived a few days after Professor Colbert left. They didn't say his name; Count Mott was definitely their employer. I don't know what I would have done if Miss Tabitha and Miss Zerbst hadn't shown up." The way Siesta refused to meet Louise's eyes said it all.

Montmorency barely repressed a snarl. With no way to help, her anger just broiled within her. "Men like that…" She spat under her breath. Montmorency knew just what would have happened if Tabitha hadn't intervened. "Wait," Montmorency realized, "What are you doing here anyway?"

"We arrived, found you had been here. We waited." Succinct and barely understandable, Tabitha spoke her piece.

Knowing that a better explanation was needed, Kirche burst in with her definitely not prepared speech. "We came to find you two of course!" The tan Germanian nearly sang, "Two of our dear friends, cast out by the church, on the run for their lives! We couldn't help but come to your aid!" The silence that followed was punctuated by the disbelieving stares of all but Cattleya and Tiffania; who, for their part, were very much moved. It was Tabitha's quirked eyebrow that tipped the scale. Deflating, Kirche explained, "Both Gallia and Germania are on tense terms with the church. Gallia may be more open about it but that doesn't change the facts. You two were declared liches. If we prove you are not liches that will be grounds to deny any further inquisitions, and maybe limit Romalia's abuse of its power." Once again raising her voice, Kirche sang, "But we would still help if that were not the case! Did we not come to your aid with that rogue Fouquet? If we let you perish now, all that effort would have been for naught! Besides, it's not like you're _actually_ liches."

If only a bit, Louise was moved by Kirche's heartfelt thoughts. So before she really thought it through, she interrupted, "About that…"

* * *

><p>What followed involved many gasps from Siesta, slight adjusts of glasses from Tabitha, and over the top howls of compassion from Kirche as Louise explained just what exactly had happened to Montmorency and herself. Saying nothing would have led Tabitha to think them liches, and Louise couldn't bear to lie to those whom had at one time risked their lives to save hers. She did leave out Cardinal Thomas' untimely demise. As it was Saito he dealt the killing blow, she wasn't about to divulge what was technically murder of a Cardinal.<p>

"I'm glad." Siesta clasped Louise's hands in her own. "I know you will find a way to heal yourselves." Louise couldn't help but be warmed by Siesta's optimism. A small smile graced her lips after the trial of once again relaying her story.

The hints of tears in Louise's eyes were outclassed by Kirche's however. Wiping away her tears, Kirche stood up in a flash. "That just makes me as doubly sure! Tabitha and I will accompany you!" A nod from Tabitha confirmed her agreement.

Looking to Montmorency, Louise found wary eyes. "Listen, Kirche. Montmorency and I are thankful for your support, but traveling with a group of five is hard enough to go unnoticed. Seven would be-"

Louise was cut off by that haughty laugh of Kirche's she used to hate. "OH ho ho ho ho! Louise, do you really think you can get rid of us that easily? Besides, we are two nobles. Nobles that can go anywhere without raising an eyebrow. Moreover, you don't have a choice but to make your party eight." Eight? The number was not lost on Louise. "Yes, seeing Siesta in such a predicament filled my soul with compassion. I requested a covered wagon some days ago and by your great fortune it arrived this morning. If Siesta may no longer work as a maid, I will simply make a fine Germainian merchant out of her!" Dancing over to Siesta, Kirche grabbed the girl's shoulders, drawing an embarrassed blush. "First lesson of Germanian trading? Smuggling of course! As Siesta's first lesson, we'll smuggle you and your group across Tristain."

While Louise knew Kirche loved the sound of her own voice, this had gone on long enough. "You can't drag Siesta into this." Louise warned, annoyed at Kirche's constant presumptions.

"No." Siesta's low voice stopped Louise. "I have prayed for a way to repay you, Miss Valliere, I want to help. If I can just do this…" Louise held her tongue, having a hard time explaining that Siesta didn't owe her anything.

Nearly bursting with idealistic passion, Cattleya broke her peace. "Louise, you have such wonderful friends! How lucky you are!" Faced with her elder sister, Louise was unable to raise protest.

Floundering in the face of so many people insistent on helping, Louise couldn't find her voice. "One second." Montmorency, it seemed, had found hers. Grabbing Louise's hand, she towed her off into the woods and away from the group.

Once she was satisfied with their privacy, Montmorency whirled on Louise. "You aren't thinking of actually doing this, are you?"

Again, Louise floundered, "Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea..." Her weak smile did not satisfy Montmorency.

Raising one finger, Montmorency counted off her points, "We know how to travel unseen with two people, and even then we got caught. Five was pushing it, but we had no choice. Eight? There is no way we can move unnoticed. If that wagon is stopped by one patrol, it's game over." For a second, Louise tried to argue, only to be stared down by Montmorency.

"Actually-" A voice interrupted them, causing the two girls to jump with fright. Saito, moving from behind a tree, jumped at their surprise. "Er, sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up on you; I'm just used to moving silently in the woods." Two annoyed looks greeted him, but neither girl told him to leave. "Anyways, it might actually be a good idea, the covered wagon. Tiffania can use Mind Wipe and alter the memories of any patrols, and we can move faster. Plus, five people moving through the wilderness _will_ leave tracks, no matter how we try to cover them."

For a moment, Montmorency sized Saito up. Louise herself found herself agreeing with the boy, and promised herself it was due to his logic, not her desire to please Cattleya. "Fine." Montmorency threw up her arms. "But I have a bad feeling about this, Louise." With no objections left, the three returned to the others.

* * *

><p>Louise pinched the bridge of her nose yet again, trying to ignore the sing song instructions of Kirche to Siesta. The maid turned merchant mumbled an embarrassed response when Kirche leaned improperly close to adjust the reins on Siesta's hands. From where Louise sat in the back of the covered wagon, she did not envy the girl. Kirche could be a handful. The other passenger upfront offered no help, instead merely reading. For a brief moment, Louise wondered if that was how Tabitha dealt with the excitable Kirche. Just ignore her?<p>

While not a carriage, the covered wagon was far preferable to walking. Silently, Louise thanked Brimir for their recent streak of traveling luck. First a landing boat and now a wagon. Things were looking up. Still, the ride was boring. Montmorency might be able to busy herself with alchemy and the others could get out and walk if they needed fresh air, but she was forbidden to show her face to the sky. What was worse, it had been Louise herself who had determined that was the safest course of action so she couldn't even complain to anyone.

There wasn't even anyone to chat with. Tiffania and Cattleya had been busily trying to teach each other void magic for the past hour, Montmorency was in alchemy mode, And Saito had decided to walk, or rather his sword had demanded he keep exercising. Who knew a sword could be such a strict trainer?

That left one conversation partner. One, _loathsome, _conversation partner. "_Would it inspire any particular emotions if I were to tell you that pink wasn't a real color? It's just a light shade of the primary color red._" Id prodded.

"No Id, it would not." Louise replied to the familiar staring intently at her. "Besides, that's complete nonsense, Pink _is_ a color."

Id tilted its head slightly. "_Of course it is. But you have had negative reactions to deception in the past so I am practicing it to maximize emotional output._"Oh of course. Practicing lying. Well, at least it was better than practicing insults.

"_Your intelligence is incredibly low._" Ah, there it was. Really, Louise missed the days when Id didn't say a word.

Still, Louise _did_ pride herself on her brains. Haughtily, she replied, "I know I am smart, Id. If you are trying to get a rise out of me, you might want to try something I am insecure about." If Louise thought Id could actually be insulting, she wouldn't have offered that piece of advice.

"_In your current state, your mammary glands will be insufficient for child-rearing._" There was a slight bit of triumph in Id's tone.

The insult went far over Louise's head. "What?" She quirked an eyebrow, slowly trying to translate the Kyuubey talk. Yet, before she could translate the genuine insult, she was jolted over as the Wagon ground to a halt. Hurriedly hiding at the Kirche's hissed warning, Louise peeked across the wagon at Montmorency as they both scuttled beneath the benches.

The ring of metal sounded as Saito unsheathed Derflinger. Cattleya was quick to brace her tower shield lengthwise across the wagon's back entrance as she used her free hand to force Tiffania down behind her. The normally happy woman held a tense look as her military instincts took over. "Leave this to us." Tabitha commanded, her calm voice never wavering.

Outside, a man stood in the road with an unsheathed sword held loosely before him. "Good day, kind merchants." He spoke with a terrible impersonation of eloquence. "Me and my jolly band of law enforcers are here to collect on a certain reward." The magical girls within the wagon tensed, gripping their wands. How could they possibly have been caught already?! They hadn't even passed through a town. Sure, they could probably fight their way through. But who knows how many Church Paladins were on the way?!

Smiling, the man gestured around him as several other men stood up in the surrounding tall grass, muskets pointed at their quarry. "Count Mott is quite interested in you, my dear. You must have done something quite terrible." Wait, Count Mott? These men were after Siesta.

The girl in question froze with fright, but kept her cool. The other two on the driving bench kept cool, but didn't suffer any fright. "Do you even have a mage?" Kirche wondered aloud in a tone one used on belligerent children.

Taken aback, the man replied, "Er… why would we even need one for the likes of a wayward maid?" At his signal, his men readied to fire.

Kirche was not impressed, "Tabitha, we should leave some alive this time. Otherwise we'll just run into the same problem."

With a nod, Tabitha replied with a spell. "Air guard." A shimmering dome of altered air was summoned around the wagon. Not expecting the action, a rifleman fired in surprise. The loud gunshot only served to startle his compatriots into joining him.

Louise could best describe the sound of bullets impacting the shield as a 'warble.' It was unique, if nothing else. The smoke began to clear revealing a rather bemused Kirche and a stoic Tabitha. "Honestly, attacking innocent maidens like us? I will not feel bad about this, then."

What men didn't run at Kirche's summoning of fire were quickly incapacitated by the fire and wind duo. Thoroughly beaten, the men darted away into the fields leaving their leader behind. The man in question was on his back as Tabitha hovered over him, looking down distastefully. She held her staff toward his neck and a grim expression crossed her face. She meant to kill him, the man realized.

"Wait!" It was Siesta's voice who stopped Tabitha. "I'm thankful for your protection, Miss Tabitha, but please allow him to leave." With a curt nod, Tabitha stepped back and allowed the man to scurry away, panicked thanks fading as he fled. A questioning look from Tabitha met Siesta. "I know he is my enemy, but I didn't want to see him die."

Tabitha only offered another nod. "I agree!" A new voice joined them. Cattleya didn't give Siesta time to turn to her, instead wrapping the maid in a great hug. "Even if it's hard, we must always endeavor to offer mercy to others! Doing the right thing its own reward!" Completely flummoxed, Siesta rambled incoherently in her embarrassment as Cattleya swung her around and around to the laugher of the rest. Even the Stoic Tabitha was forced to smile weakly at the scene.

* * *

><p>Camp that night was a cheerful affair. Everyone was in good spirits with the way the day had gone, save for the completely exhausted Saito. Apparently just walking had not been enough for Derflinger, the boy was forced to run ahead at random intervals and perform various exercises. The sword was getting more and more into his taskmaster mindset. The enjoyment he got out of making his unreliable partner sweat probably had something to do with it. Maybe the boy would think twice about throwing him around next time!<p>

Tiffania knelt next to the exhausted Saito, offering compliments to the blushing boy over his dedication. Kirche had taken a ride on Sylphid with Tabitha to scout the surrounding area for dangers, leaving Louise in charge of watching the camp. Something she had delegated to Id to keep the familiar out of her hair. "Siesta," Louise cut into the conversation between her sister and the maid. "Those men came from Count Mott, was firing you not enough?" While she didn't distrust Siesta, she did need to know how likely they were to have similar incursions.

Siesta looked to the ground subconsciously letting her hand reach up to grab her other arm. "When I said I was fired, I didn't exactly stick around to get fired." She shrugged weakly, "Count Mott would probably have done worse than firing me had I waited."

Somberly, Louise processed the news. It made sense. Now that Colbert was gone there was no longer a buffer between Siesta and Mott. Sure, the man couldn't lawfully abduct Siesta without possibly revealing his actions that led to this current situation. However, there were plenty of unscrupulous louts roaming the lands that could pursue her. A maid like her was easy prey to just about anyone.

The other Valliere did not take the news quite as somberly. "Siesta!" Cattleya grasped the maid's hands in her own. "Why would such a man pursue you in such a dastardly fashion?!" The genuine worry in Cattleya's voice was so intense Siesta was frozen in surprise for a breath.

Regaining herself, Siesta sighed and began, "Well…"

Siesta's story of escape from the clutches of Count Mott was filled with many an anguished gasp and tearful embrace. Cattleya's pure empathy was so intense by the end of it even Siesta was smiling as she told the others of the most painful memory she had. "And then I remembered Miss Louise and how she never gave up. How she stood up to Guiche with such nobility. So I punched his lights out and ran away that same night! That's why I'm so thankful for meeting Miss Louise. Her inspiration saved me in my most desperate moment." Louise's ears reddened in embarrassment at the praise. Siesta was giving her entirely too much credit.

That last line reignited Cattleya's inner fire two-fold. Cattleya leaned uncomfortably close to Siesta and clutched the maid's hands in her own. The stars in the sky had nothing on the stars in Cattleya's eyes. "I agree completely! You and I, we are friends from now on!" It wasn't an offer of friendship, but a command. Siesta could only nod in acceptance. Completely proud of her younger sister, Cattleya turned to Louise. "Isn't this wonderful Louise! Your friend was inspired by your Iron Will!"

Louise hid her blush and turned away from the scene. Those two idiots… She wasn't _that_ amazing. "I-it's nothing really… I didn't even mean too." Montmorency that caught her eye, a terribly mischievous grin on the blonde's features. "Not a word…" Louise warned, blushing harder.

Raising her eyebrows, Montmorency's grin only widened. "Whatever you say, Louise of the Iron Will."

By now Louise was redder than the fire itself. "It's got a nice ring to it." Saito contributed, enjoying embarrassing the girl. "Heroes always have to have a cool nickname." He rubbed his chin. "Louise of the Iron Will."

"Louise of the Iron Will." Tiffania piped up; completely missing her familiar's teasing tone.

Louise could only hunch down and hide her face as various jests and compliments were flung at her. At least Kirche wasn't here. The Zerbst would be having a field day.

* * *

><p>Sylphid glided softly over the forest. Her wings cut through the night air with a barely audible whisp. With a quick dive and a hard flap, Sylphid landed in the clearing softly and silently, bowing low to allow Tabitha and Kirche to dismount. "You're too soft, you know." A snide voice called out as a figure appeared before them, appearing out of the night like a wraith. Tabitha stiffened and Kirche cocked back onto one hip, doing little to hide her distaste of the figure before them.<p>

The ghostly woman continued, "I thought to spare you some trouble by tipping those bounty hunters off. Let them take the maid, maybe even kill the boy? You'll have to deal with them soon anyway." Kirche grit her teeth, but held her tongue. This was Tabitha's show.

The mage in question adjusted her glasses and stared unflinchingly at the woman before her. "Lich hunt. No one else." This woman, Sheffield, Tabitha would not buckle under her thumb that easily.

Shrugging nonchalantly, Sheffield flaunted her superiority over the two. "Yes, yes. You can handicap yourself all you want, just make sure not to strike before I say, little spy. There is more to the plan than a pawn like you knows." At Tabitha's leveled gaze, Sheffield shrugged and moved on to business. "We have located the woman your party is seeking. As it turns out she is staying rather close to our borders. So you will wait to strike until we can ensure the retrieval of our goal." Turning, Sheffield began to walk away into the night.

Kirche stopped her, "So we just continue to lie until then?" She half accused.

Not bothering with more than a look over her shoulder Sheffield replied, "You are welcome to ignore my orders, as long as you are willing to choose these heretics over your own mother, little Charlotte." Knowing the stoic girl was barely keeping her composure, Sheffield disappeared into the night leaving only echoing laughter behind. She had another project to attend to. This pawn was slightly more difficult to ply, but could very well be the solution to the Romalia problem.


	14. Chapter 14: Bonds

**Chapter 14: Bonds**

The steady clop of horseshoes on the packed dirt of the road only served to help Guiche measure just how long the silence had lasted. Outside, the gentle hills had turned to sparse trees, which were only mildly more interesting. Turning from the window, he met the unabating gaze once more. "Well this is certainly uncomfortable." Guiche spoke with forced cheer, trying to lighten the mood. One could only look at passing trees so long.

The other passenger in the carriage merely raised an eyebrow. "I would hardly say a cushioned carriage ride is uncomfortable." Agnes frowned slightly in distaste and went back to studying Guiche.

Agnes' disregard for his point caused Guiche to let out a breath. Fine, if she wanted him to be more direct he was happy to oblige. "I was referring to the previous awkward silence. I still haven't figured out whether or not you are planning to throttle me." While stern distaste did seem to be Agnes' default expression, she was showing quite a bit of that to him. When Agnes made no effort to reply, Guiche elaborated for fear of more silence. "My appointment as your temporary replacement was an insult. We both know this." There, he had said it.

Nodding, Agnes confirmed, "Indeed. One that could have gotten my soldiers killed. However, my Lieutenant informed me you performed admirably during the war; I see no reason to chastise you." Despite her words, Agnes' eyes narrowed, "If given the opportunity, I might have words with whatever noble thought it was a good idea to put an unproven boy in charge of an all-female musketeer platoon." The venom that emanated from Agnes chilled Guiche's spine. Thank Brimir she was logical enough not to take it out on him.

"Still," Agnes said, her stoic face finally displaying a hint of curiosity. "From the looks of you, I'd say you were nothing but a foppish brat." Guiche deflated a little and looked down. "Not someone who would write, 'Mages in a Supporting Role.'"

Guiche's head snapped up to look at Agnes who was now holding a worn leather-bound book. "That's a working title - Wait, where did you get that?" Guiche reached for his work in progress, only for a glare to halt his advance.

Quirking an eyebrow, Agnes' lip curled into the faintest of smiles and flicked her wrist; popping open the book. "Chapter Seven: Mobile Trench Warfare." Guiche quelled the urge to mention chapter titles were also works in progress. "This is revolutionary stuff kid. Not in a good way." For a moment Guiche's breath caught, "Or at least that is what any one of your noble colleagues would say." With another snap of her wrist Agnes closed the book and handed back to Guiche.

His book safely back in his possession, Guiche answered the half-asked question. "The idea that soldiers should support the mage by protecting them while they cast spells is foolish. In most cases they are just sacrificing lives to let the noble play the hero." With a mild frown, Guiche remembered his old tactics instructor explaining how to use spells as battle-winning tide-turners. Such ideas were squashed out of his head rather quickly by the real world. "Heh," Guiche chuckled, "If I had tried that Mirabelle just might have skinned me alive."

For once, the taciturn Agnes returned the mild chuckle, "My Lieutenant can be a bit stern." Guiche was wise enough not mention the metaphor of kettles and pots. "That is one of the reasons I came on this trip with you." At Guiche's questioning look, Agnes elaborated, "I'll be resuming command of the musketeers in a week. I'm debating keeping you on."

Agnes waited for Guiche to process her proposal. With his brow furrowed, Guiche questioned, "I thought men weren't allowed in the Princess' personal guard." Not accepting or rejecting, Guiche evaluated the information.

With a smirk, Agnes responded, "We could simply geld you." The Chevalier chuckled as the color fled from the boy's face. "Relax; you just wouldn't be assigned as a personal guard. You'd be more of a… mage advisor." Guiche was unable to stifle the sigh of relief that followed. "You are proven in battle, and you have the right type of mind for my unit, but I still have yet to evaluate the quality of that mind." Once again Agnes received a questioning look. "You being assigned to my unit as sabotage is not out of the ordinary. As a squad of commoners led by a commoner who rose to the rank of Chevalier, my unit comes under heavy scrutiny and political attack." Her face became stern as she leaned forward and propped her chin upon folded hands. "I need to assess whether you have the smarts to deal with that scrutiny. You would be the first male _and_ the first mage assigned to my unit in peacetime. More than that, you would be subordinate to a non-mage."

While his time as acting commander of the musketeers had given Guiche the standard distaste for politics that all soldiers bore, he understood the gravity of Agnes' words. "Well then, how would you test me?" The air of challenge did not fail to entice Guiche.

Apparently satisfied with his grit, Agnes leaned back and looked down at Guiche, appraising him. "Why were you sent on this mission?" The carriage rattled along the road, but Agnes' eyes remained on Guiche.

Across from Agnes, Guiche held his tongue, letting the question settle before he replied, "I could say I was chosen for sentimental value as I was both the Maiden's classmate for a spell and fought alongside her several times," Agnes' unwavering face offered no help, "but that is only the surface of it." Biting his lower lip, Guiche worked the problem out. "As the current leader of the musketeer corps, I am technically the Princess's direct subordinate." Guiche did not mention that he had only ever met the princess but a few times. "By sending me, it shows the Princess is directly acknowledging her slights without having to apologize for them."

"Go on." Agnes ordered, not satisfied.

Scratching his chin, Guiche continued, "Well, the crown stood aside for the inquisition. Officially they sided with the church rather than the Vallieres." Guiche nodded in confirmation of his own point, "Even with paladins combing his lands, Duke Valliere still raised his army for the crown's war without any resistance. Normally such fealty would be informally rewarded." Guiche grimaced as he came to the next part. "But instead, the Maiden was sacrificed to cover the army's retreat." Agnes nodded in reverence for the lost. "So by sending me, the Princess can informally recognize what she has put the Duke through without losing face with the church or the more pious nobles." Guiche watched Agnes as she evaluated his answer.

With a nod, Agnes spoke curtly, "Acceptable, you'll do." With a mild lurch, the carriage stopped, "Now, we have a job to do." Agnes jerked her head to the side, signaling Guiche to leave first.

An air of sobriety fell over the two as they prepared for somber business. Carefully, Guiche retrieved the folded royal army banner and stepped out of the carriage. His crisp formal boots were still stiff and unused. Offering a hand only for Agnes to reject it, Guiche waited for the woman to lower herself to the ground. Still weak from her old injuries, Agnes was slow, but methodical in her exit of the carriage. Her own formal attire did not help at all. Regardless of her discomfort, she managed without incident and fell in line next to Guiche. The two soldiers looked to the Valliere household in front of them, and the woman standing in the doorway waiting for them. With the banner held firmly, Guiche marched at a pace Agnes could manage safely.

As the two made the long trek down the cobblestone walkway, Guiche prepared himself for what was to come. How Lady Valliere knew when they would arrive was beyond him, but there she was, waiting next to the house. As he neared, he expected tears, screams of rage, any variety of extreme emotions. Yet the stern woman waiting for them didn't waver. She simply studied them and the banner they brought. "Lady Valliere, if the Duke might be summoned..." Guiche spoke mechanically, relying on his time with the musketeers to guide him in the harshly awkward situation.

The Lady Valliere looked to the banner Guiche bore, then for the first time truly looked into Guiche's eyes. If Agnes had been evaluating him as a subordinate, this woman was evaluating him as an ant. He was so far below her expectations it was laughable. Her sheer presence nearly distracted him from her order. "Leave that with me. Then go." Stunned by both her presence and disregard for what was obviously news of her daughter death, Guiche hesitated. "_Now_." The command had Guiche handing over the banner before he could remember he was supposed to hand it the duke in person. "Now leave."

"Yes ma'am." Guiche replied on instinct alone. As soon as his back was turned he heard the sound of a door close and the woman's presence disappeared. He didn't even bother repressing his sigh of relief, an action shared by Agnes as well. When the two were safely back in the carriage, Guiche nervously broke the silence, "Was it just me, or was she a little heartless about all this?"

Agnes shook her head. Normally, she prided herself on being unshakable, but that woman was inhuman. "Not heartless. I'm sure she already received the news from one of her house's spies. That, and I think she shares the same opinion as the Princess on the events surrounding the Maiden's last battle." That was enough to pique Guiche's interest once more. Agnes just shook her head, "Way above you kid. But enough about that, I'd say managing to maintain your composure despite all of _that _is the final bit of proof I need. You're in, kid."

Guiche quirked an eyebrow, remembering what they had been discussing before the Lady Valliere. "Wait, I never agreed to this." He half-heartedly protested.

It was Agnes's turn to quirk an eyebrow to accompany her knowing look. "Kid, you belong in my unit. We can work out how you'll split your time between training and finishing your schooling later. Tonight, we're taking the unit out to celebrate getting a new rookie."

Any protest caught in Guiche's throat. "I suppose you're right… Wait! What's this about me being a rookie!?" For the first time Guiche heard Agnes' laughter as the carriage clopped along through the woods back to the capital.

* * *

><p>Louise wished she was in carriage. The bare wooden seats of the covered wagon were starting to wear on her. At least when she had been journeying on foot there was an element of danger that kept her mind active. The sun had fallen, leaving any hope of reading gone with the light. If she practiced her fire magic, the others were sure to complain about the smell in the enclosed space. Enviously, she looked to Tiffania and Cattleya practicing their void magic. Rather, Tiffania was practicing and Cattleya was still having trouble producing any kind of magic. How her elder sister stayed so positive was beyond Louise. If Louise had lost her magic for even a day she would be a wreck. Cattleya hadn't managed a spell in weeks.<p>

As if to accentuate her elder sister's unshakable optimism, Cattleya and Tiffania broke into giggles at some remark of Siesta's. The maid had joined them to take a break from driving the wagon and left the reins with Tabitha. Aside the silent girl, a far less silent girl yawned without regard to her volume; an act that slightly irked Louise due to Kirche's close proximity to a sleeping Montmorency. The blonde in question remained still as a log. Mildly, Louise wondered how Montmorency could sleep at all. What with the jostling of the wagon and the less than quiet passengers. Speaking of less than quiet passengers, Kirche suddenly addressed Louise's familiar , "So why can I see you, furball? Weren't you supposed to be invisible?"

From his place next to Louise, Id looked to Kirche. _"My current state has nothing to do with freeing up processing power to deal with Louise's interference."_ After a beat, Id swished his tail and looked up to meet Louise's eyes. Unflinching, Louise studied her familiar before it turned away.

With a tilt to her head, Kirche let the question go only partially answered. "Well, at least answer me this. You made Louise and Montmorency the way they are, and in exchange they each got a wish. Any wish?" The idle curiosity in Kirche's voice did little to keep Louise's hackles from rising at the touchy subject.

Seemingly unaware of Louise and any sort of tact, Id replied as if speaking to an ignorant child. _"I only facilitated. It is the release of a magical girl's magic that grants a magical girl's wish."_ Another swish of its tail stirred the air.

Kirche yawned again, seemingly just curious in the information. In spite of that she pressed on, "But is there a limit to a wish? What if I wished for those girls and myself thereafter to change back to normal girls?"

"Eh?" Louise could not contain the surprise in her voice.

Despite the ridiculously grandiose idea, Kirche remained rather lax about the situation. "_Impossible._" The Kyuubey shook its head in almost a patronizing fashion; shutting down any hope before it could grow. "_The limit of a magical girl's wish is dependent upon the accumulated unknown variable."_ At Kirche's questioning look, Id continued, _"Normally the unknown variable can best be equated to despair. Usually such an approximation is made to facilitate comprehension for less than optimum intelligences."_ At that blatant insult Id looked back to Louise. When she blew off the insult with a deadpan expression, Id turned back to Kirche. "_For any normal wish the standard candidate would have more than enough power, but going against direct causality such as reversing a death or in reversing another wish contract would require an inordinate amount of power. Accumulation of such would take at least several hundred of your lifetimes. A feat made even more unfeasible by those who have passed through their second major growth phase being ineligible for the transformation. From your body's current state, I would say you have finished, much like Siesta._" If Louise didn't know better, she would say her familiar was talking down to Kirche. Did it enjoy this? Such an idea wasn't _too _far-fetched.

Kirche titled her head in confusion. "Second major growth phase?" She tested the foreign words.

Louise knew what her familiar was referencing. She was just a late bloomer. Soon enough she would grow. Just look at her sisters! "_Girls can only make a contract during puberty._" Id explained to Kirche, unaware of Louise's growing temper. "_Just like when I checked Siesta I am sure you-"_ The Kyuubey paused as it did something unseen, _"Surprising. I had assumed from your mature form that you had finished puberty, but it seems you are still growing." _The Kyuubey's neutral tone did nothing to quell the steadily growing anger beside it.

"Oh?" Kirche spoke out with a smile as she looked down to her chest. "Still growing? Well maybe I'll be able to give that elf a run for her money someday."

Kirche's apparent satisfaction with her body only stoked the fire growing in Louise. "_You are the second outlier I have found in this world. The possibility that your biology differs from earthlings should be considered. The second outlier, Louise, is even the complete reversal of you. Her second growth phase is almost over and she looks to not have even begun it by common standards._"

"I'm a LATE BLOOMER!" Louise exploded in divine retribution. Though her fist found no Kyuubey as Id danced away.

"_Success!_" Id exclaimed as it easily dodged out of Louise's reach. _"Wait, success? Louise, how did I anger you so?" Id shook his head hastily, "Never mind that for now, focus on uploading as much data as possible."_

"I'll upload _your_ data." Louise huffed as she failed to grab Id once more. The two scrambled about the dark confines of the covered cabin for a few moments.

Kirche giggled as Id hid behind her. That action was the last bit needed to settle Louise. Blushing at being laughed at by her one time enemy, Louise huffed and sat down across from a rousing Montmorency. The blonde groggily looked across at Louise with a tired yet annoyed glare. Louise timidly offered an apologetic smile, realizing that she had been the one to rouse her friend despite her earlier annoyance at half the wagon. Without a word, Montmorency closed her eyes and settled in to try and return to sleep.

Despite the ruckus, Kirche had one more question, "Any normal wish? So healing someone whose mind has been permanently damaged?"

"Kirche." Tabitha warned her friend not to press any more on the sensitive issue.

Even at that warning, Kirche pretended not to understand the unspoken meaning. "What, Tabitha? You'll have to elaborate." Kirche's teasing fell on surprisingly heavy tension.

Tabitha drew back the reigns harshly, abruptly stopping the wagon and jostling its passengers. "We're here." A sour look was shared between Kirche and Tabitha for the faintest of moments.

"We have arrived!?" The lighthearted glee of Cattleya washed away any hint of tension as she clamored out of the wagon. Second to follow was Tabitha, whistling for her dragon overhead to land. As Montmorency herself exited from the front of the wagon, Tiffania was lowered out the back by a waiting Saito. Louise stretched her legs, waking them from travel as she looked around while waiting for the rest to exit the wagon.

The cabin itself was more of a house really; two stories and brick rather than wood. As an earth mage, no doubt Eleanor preferred to be surrounded by her element. It definitely had Eleanor's sense of class. A sparse forest extended behind it and it overlooked a great lake. It was the model retreat home. Not too flashy but certainly not dull, the sensible looking house fit in nicely with the scenery; exactly as a noble's home away from home _should_ be. Louise grimaced, remembering just how proper her eldest sister was. She had become lax in dealing with Cattleya; there was no telling what she would be in for with Eleanor. Dropping in unannounced with another lich, an elf, her renegade sister and not to mention several commoners; that was something Eleanor would disapprove of, to put it lightly.

The click of a musket hammer being pulled back snapped Louise's senses to her. Whipping around, she found that Saito had withdrawn his musket and placed himself between the forest and Tiffania. "Something's out there." His steeled voice spoke with a heavy worry.

That something did not remain hidden long. Striding out of the forest with grace seemingly impossible for its size strode a being of shadows. The entire party tensed as the moonlight slowly dispelled the shadows clinging to the beast. Standing nearly twice as tall as Sylphid with the body of lion, the wings of a bat and the tail of a scorpion strode the most massive manticore they had ever seen. Well, all except two. The two Vallieres had seen a manticore this size before. They had seen _this_ manticore before. "Mr. Fluffles!" Cattleya shrieked with excitement as she slammed into the manticore's mane, gripping the fur and latching on to the massive animal like a leech. The ancient manticore's ominous presence was quickly dispelled as it tried and failed to gently let Cattleya down. Leaning down this way, bowing that way, each time the manticore lowered the portion of its mane Cattleya was clinging to she would simply climb until eventually she was atop the beast's head scratching that oh-so-wonderful place behind its ears.

Giving up, the manticore lay down and accepted the pleasurable sensation. "Hello, Alistair." Louise used the manticore's proper name as she place a hand on his massive snout. The huff of breath that followed teetered Louise on her feet. "Cattleya?" Louise questioned upward.

Cattleya popped out from beneath the field of fur, "Oh right! Everyone, this is our mother's familiar, Alistair the Manticore, but you can call him Mr. Fluffles." Alistair huffed at the nickname and gave a stern look to the group in front of him. Only his charges were given that privilege, not them.

"Cattleya," Louise interjected once again, "I meant that maybe we should go inside." There was no doubt in Louise's mind that sending Cattleya in ahead was the best course of action. Seeing Cattleya was sure to at least partially warm Eleanor's heart.

Hanging on to a tuft of hair, Cattleya's legs kicked about for a moment before she let go and fell to the ground. "Right then, everyone follow me!" Still eyeing the massive manticore warily, the group lined up to follow Cattleya. "Oh!" The girl clasped her hands remembering, "Tabitha, you can leave little Sylphid with Mr. Fluffles. He'll take good care of her." Tabitha responded with a blank look over her glasses to the idealistic woman. One Cattleya did not notice. "You hear that Mr. Fluffles, you look after little Sylphid okay?" Knowing the loyal manticore was not one to refuse an order, Cattleya ushered the group to the house. The bounce in her step showed no trace of the trepidation the others felt. Lich, half-elf, or commoner, they all knew it was possible they would be treated poorly or things would take a turn for the worse because of their lot in life.

Still oblivious, Cattleya knocked upon the cabin door before opening it. Not even phased by the unlocked door, Cattleya swung the door wide and walked in, ushering those behind her to follow. A mild light illuminated the lobby, or rather lobby-turned-ritual-room. A massive magic circle had been drawn upon the hardwood floor and there was no furniture to speak of. For a moment Louise studied the circle, she could find pieces of the summoning circle and binding circle, but only pieces. This was meant for something else. "Eleanor?" Slight worry tainted Cattleya's voice for once.

"In here." A familiar voice called from a room opposite the circle, the door slightly ajar. As the group journeyed around the circle Saito eyed it warily. Such situations screamed danger in most settings. They were going to find Louise's sister possessed by a demon, or she'd be undead, or both!

Despite any worries, Cattleya entered the room Eleanor had called from. The door swung wide with the faintest of creaks to reveal a study littered with books. Tomes were spread out chaotically. Several colored bookmarks peeked out from between the pages of every book. Some were left laying open and others sat haphazardly stacked cover to cover. Across the room, a woman sat at a desk. The lantern hanging above her provided the sole light in the dim room. Her frayed, long blond hair fell down the chair, blocking most of her body from view. "Eleanor?" It was Louise who spoke.

A hand rose, stopping her. With her hand still raised, Eleanor paused. It was only by the slight jostling of her shoulder that Louise could tell she was writing something. "There, done." Standing up, Eleanor turned around to meet the group. When her eyes finally fell on the group, she paused to take in the unexpected amount of people. Her eyes passed over Tabitha and Kirche with barely a pause. Then over Saito and Siesta without even that. They stopped on Tiffania "Elf." She spoke the word as a matter of fact. Tiffania flinched under the studying gaze.

Cattleya was quick to place herself between the harsh gaze and her friend. "My friend Tiffania has endured much as a half-elf. She-"

Eleanor sighed, "Half-elf. Then you haven't had much contact with elven culture?" Tiffania had no voice, so she merely managed a shake of her head. "Oh well." Wistfully depressed, Eleanor returned to the matter at hand. Despite her messy appearance, the woman stood straight and managed to emanate a proper, disapproving aura. "I expected the girl from the Montmorency house, but you brought along quite the gaggle, sisters." Eleanor adjusted her glasses and walked toward a hanging lantern.

Taken slightly aback, Louise asked, "You expected us?" This… unexciting welcome was not what she had expected.

"Eventually," Eleanor turned a knob on the lantern. Fire ignited within and blazed brighter and brighter until the room was fully lit. "Father's spies in the church were able to get your full description, including what was left out to the public. Just as Cattleya used that to surmise that it was the two of you at the Battle of Tarbes, I knew it was you who rescued her at Saxe-Gotha." Focusing on Cattleya, Eleanor studied her sister for a brief moment, "Cattleya knew I was working on some sort of cure for you, so she was sure to bring you here at one point or another." With a depressed shrug Eleanor turned back to the younger of her two sisters, "Not that I've managed mind you, but I have made strides in uncovering something grand." A slight hint of excitement leaked into Eleanor's voice in spite of her admission of no cure.

Due to her experience with Eleanor, Louise knew showing any form of excitement was a rare thing. When the other woman stopped and waited for someone to ask her to continue, Louise realized she had never seen Eleanor _this_ excited. "What did you find?"

Still unabashedly smiling with her ever so slight hint of smugness, Eleanor replied, "Well first off I can tell you that you aren't a lich."

"Actually," Louise interjected, "Technically Montmorency and I are."

"_Actually_," Eleanor interjected, spitting Louise's word back at her, "Technically you aren't. The process of becoming a lich rots the flesh. Lich actually comes from the old tongue. The word means, 'moving decay,' and you seem to be in fine shape. Only elven liches retain their flesh." Louise was cut off before she could even begin to explain her status as a magical girl. "You may have separated your soul from your body; that much I believe. Really, Cardinal Torquemada being wrong about that would be less believable." Eleanor huffed her words out like what she was saying should be obvious. "Now, once I understood that you were only _like_ a lich a whole new vein of research appeared. Several Paladins have researched ways to return lich souls to their bodies as a way of killing them."

"We found as much." Montmorency joined in, remembering their time in the Paladin library.

Eleanor briefly paused to look at what she had previously written off. "Indeed. But regardless, such a ritual would not be fatal to one whose body still maintains life." Eleanor gestured to Louise, or rather her body that currently wasn't in a state of decomposition. "Now, following those texts led me to the same conclusion all those old Paladins reached. A ritual like that would require magic of the soul. Void magic." Stopping for what could only be a dramatic pause, Eleanor continued, "Of course, finding a mage who could wield that lost power is but a fantasy, so instead, I set about modifying the summoning ritual to emulate Void magic. The circle is used to modify magic to allow for what is essentially a void spell after all."

"We have a void mage." Louise spoke plainly.

"Now, I had to be careful as liches were said to become the way they are by trying to replicate void magic and turning myself into a lich would only-" Eleanor paused, finally realizing what her sister had said. "Wait, what?"

Smirking, Louise explained, "We have a void mage, two actually. Cattleya and Tiffania are both capable of void magic." Eleanor closed her mouth, opened it, then settled on closing it again. "Like you, we found the texts of old paladins and came to the conclusion that void magic was needed." For the sake of feeling smarter than her know-it-all sister, Louise left out how she had only jumped to void magic on a fleeting hope rather than extensive study. "So we tracked down a void mage and then the Founder's Prayerbook, a spellbook for a void mage." Cattleya withdrew the Founder's Prayerbook from her satchel and waved it lightly. Taking the book, Louise walked over to Eleanor. "The problem is neither Cattleya nor Tiffania can read it on command. Apparently the words only appear in times of need."

Eleanor snatched the holy relic from Louise's hands abruptly. Her frustration showed as she began roughly flipping through the pages. "Probably more than standard privacy enchantments. Most likely void related." Eleanor peeked over the edge of the blank book. "You need me to get this to work on command for our sister and her friend." Louise nodded. "I'll see what I can do." The words were spoken with a slight hint of spite and an even smaller hint of excitement. There was nothing an academic hated more than being second place in an intellectual race, but the chance to dissect a relic from a bygone age was certainly an acceptable consolation prize. "There are rooms upstairs and food in the kitchen across the lobby. I'll speak with you in the morning." The statement lacked any courtesy, but it was dismissal enough. Even Cattleya was cowed from the room when Eleanor shot her an annoyed glare. Last out of the room, Louise stopped when her name was called. "Louise," Eleanor lift her eyes from the relic and met her sister's, "I'm glad you are safe."

For a moment, Louise just stood there. Had Eleanor opened with such a line, Louise would have known what to do. While more Cattleya's style, heartfelt reunions were something Eleanor and Louise understood. The more abrupt, business dedicated Eleanor had put Louise off center. The books strewn about only proved just how much Eleanor had been studying and researching. Studying for Louise, said magical girl realized. "Thank you Eleanor." Louise spoke softly before leaving her eldest sister to her work.

* * *

><p>More hungry than tired, the group gathered in the kitchen and raided Eleanor's foodstuffs. Enjoying bread far fresher than what he had eaten while travelling, Saito spoke up. "Well Louise, one of your sisters is too nice, the other is too stern, but are you juuuussst right?" Silence greeted him. Louise quirked an eyebrow in confusion while Tiffania puffed out her cheeks. "You don't even have 'Three Little Bears'?"<p>

Ignoring her familiar's failed reference, Tiffania spoke with her cheeks puffed out in defiance, "Cattleya isn't too nice. You _can't_ be _too _nice, Saito." She leaned in and pouted at her familiar.

Saito gagged out what sounded like 'mo-hay,' more hay? Louise would never get that boy's random references to odd stories. Leaving the familiar to apologize to his master, Louise turned to the others. Tabitha and Kirche were already out the door, however. "Patrol." Tabitha spoke her one word explanation.

In a sing-song voice, Kirche elaborated, "She's worried about her familiar, so she is going out to check on Sylphid then take her for a ride to calm her nerves while at the same time making sure we weren't followed. Really, Tabitha, you need to elaborate on these things." Whatever Tabitha's reply was lost when the front door shut, cutting off any sound.

A patrol was probably a good idea, Louise surmised. While the chances of being followed were slim since they had Sylphid on lookout the entire trip, it was nice having a veteran like Tabitha along. She was useful in a way the others weren't. Said others involved Siesta cleaning the rather dirty kitchen while correcting Cattleya as the woman tried and failed to help. Tiffania was giggling as Saito got the better of her with puppy-dog eyes. Montmorency meanwhile was giving Louise a level gaze. Er… Louise stopped as she met Montmorency's disapproving look. "Louise and I will go prepare the rooms." Montmorency's voice was calm and neutral to all but the one who knew her best. The chorus of confirmations from the rest dissipated into idle chatter as Louise followed Montmorency out the kitchen and up the stairs.

As Montmorency walked down the upper hallway ignored several doors in favor of walking all the way to the room furthest from the kitchen. Once the two magical girls had entered, Montmorency closed the door and turned to Louise, or rather the familiar at her feet. For a moment Montmorency measured the Kyuubey in silence.

"Louise, I think Kirche is up to something." Montmorency's eyes met Louise's.

"Eh?" The severity of Montmorency's voice surprised Louise. "Up to something? I'll admit that Kirche teased me in school, but she had also risked her life to rescue me from Fouquet. Who, I may remind you, is now an ally."

"Is she now?" Montmorency cut her friend off. "Last I checked, we had agreed to more of a ceasefire than an alliance." Louise scoffed at the poor analogy.

"Louise," Montmorency's voice softened as she tried to be more diplomatic, "I'm not saying that Kirche is planning to betray us, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have an ulterior motive." Montmorency held out her hands in a pleading gesture when Louise looked away, "I know we have to stay in good spirits so we don't turn into nightmarish monsters, but I think you're using that as an excuse to try and think like Cattleya."

Think like her sister? Well, why shouldn't she? Cattleya was a great role model to live up to. Apparently Louise had been pouting because Montmorency was giving her a level gaze. Consciously keeping her face neutral, Louise began, "Cattleya is…" Montmorency's eyebrows rose as she waited for Louise to prove her point, "A little idealistic, I suppose." Louise relented that much. "That's not always a bad thing." It really wasn't.

Montmorency pinched the bridge of her nose. "That's true, Louise, but you can't be like that. You _are_ the leader." When Louise looked disbelievingly Montmorency scoffed, "Don't even try to deny it." Louise swallowed her objections and relented to Montmorency's point. "You and I keep trusting people and getting almost killed because of it. We got tricked by Fouquet, put blind faith in the Pope, and then got poisoned by Dalzeel."

Not liking the patronizing tone of her friend, Louise shot back, "What about Professor Colbert? What about Tiffania? Are you saying they are going to betray us?"

"Louise." Montmorency scowled at her friend's tone of accusation. She could go on to point out the flaws in Louise's argument, but Montmorency trusted her friend's logical mind even when the girl in question refused to use it.

With no argument to get riled over, Louise's mind was forced to work in the awkward silence. First she frowned; then after fighting with herself she let out a sigh. "Alright." Louise relented, "I'll try to keep my wits about me." Montmorency had an overwhelming point; they _did _tend to trust the wrong people. "Do you really think Kirche plans to betray us?"

With a shrug, Montmorency rejected the idea, "I doubt it's anything like that. Kirche is loyal to a fault. When you got kidnapped she leapt at the chance to save you. What has me worried is that question about wishes." Louise thought back to the earlier scene. Wait, hadn't Montmorency been asleep? "Thanks to _somebody, _I was awake to hear her oddly specific question." Rolling her eyes at Louise's apologetic smile, Montmorency continued, "Heal someone who has had permanent damage done to her mind?" With eyebrows raised Montmorency once again waited for Louise's mind to work its logic.

"That _is _oddly specific." With a nod Louise let the puzzle stew in her mind. "You think Kirche has a loved one with a damaged mind and plans to become a magical girl to heal them?" Montmorency's nod did not stop Louise from digging into the puzzle further. "And _you _are worried Id will grant that wish." Again Montmorency nodded.

"_I have agreed to not make any more contracts._" Id interjected only to receive a disbelieving stare from Montmorency.

"Cutesy name or not, I still don't trust you." Id's tail swished twice in response to Montmorency's glare.

Stilling its tail, Louise's familiar informed, "_As previously stated, I am unfamiliar with the concept of deception._" Now Id was on the receiving end of two disbelieving sets of eyes. "_Just because you humans inefficiently provide each other with corrupt data do not assume more advanced races do the same._" The slight spike in garbage emotional data was noted. Once again it seemed situational modifiers play a large role in Louise's output.

A pause from her familiar spurred Louise to provide a rebuttal. "Even if you lack emotions, I find that hard to believe, familiar. You were quite adept at telling us all the great things about becoming magical girls and leaving out the tidbit about becoming witches." While Louise wouldn't call her familiar's slights against her forgiven, she certainly had learned not to stew on them. Naturally, that didn't mean she had forgotten them.

The swish of Id's tail and further silence told Louise her familiar was thinking hard; or processing garbage data as he would call it. "_I will clarify for your sub-optimal intelligence._" Louise noticed the obvious insult this time and disregarded it. "_I_ _provided you with the exact set of data to elicit the likeliest optimal response. Expending more energy and therefore creating more entropy to lessen the probability of preferable outcome is inefficient." _

When Id paused to swish its tail once again, Louise quirked an eyebrow, "For one so obsessed with efficiency your little tail swishing habit certainly seems like wasted energy."

The swishing tail froze. "_Maintaining muscular oxygenation is necessary for optimal body function._" The tail remained noticeably still, "_Furthermore, your modifications have given me perspective on your illogical negative reactions. However, this does not mean I have been degraded enough to contradict given performance parameters._" Even after several tail-swishless beats Louise failed to translate the last bit of Kyuubey-speak. "_Not that I consider your given parameters even the slightest bit efficient, but I still agreed to them._" With that, Id turned and walked to the window, its tail still frozen in place. With a light hop, Id landed on the sill, "_I will examine the surroundings._" With a slight lean Id pushed open the window and slinked away along the outer edge.

"I'm not even going to pretend I understood half of that, but based on the fact you aren't chasing after him, I'm guessing we don't have to worry about him granting any wishes?" Montmorency peered at the window more than a little confused.

With a sigh, Louise walked over to the window and looked after her familiar. The white devil was currently scampering down a nearby tree. At least he wasn't stuck on the second story. Louise replied as she closed the window, "I'm fairly sure Id won't make any more magical girls without telling me first." At Montmorency's unsure look, Louise elaborated, "Whether it realizes it or not, its _pride _won't let it."

Apparently that satisfied Montmorency. "So even if we don't have to worry about Kirche contracting in secret, that still leaves her secret agenda."

"_Possible _unseen agenda." Louise corrected, "As for that, I say we just talk to her." Raising her hand, Louise showed the glimmering pink gem to her friend. "I honestly don't know how powerful my healing is, I just kind of _feel_ it mend whatever is hurt. When I healed your head injury that the cardinal gave you, I felt my magic affect your brain, but I can't say for sure what my limits are." Turning her hand around, Louise studied her soul gem. "I know it'll expend some magic, and our grief seed has barely a use left in it, but I know what it's like to have a loved one plagued by something you can't fight."

In the silence, Louise's eyes unfocused and her mind drifted to long past thoughts. After taking a deep breath, Montmorency nodded, "Fair enough. As important as it is to look out for ourselves, we have to help Kirche if we can. We didn't give up our humanity at Tarbes, so I'm not about to do it for something like this." Louise's eyes refocused and met her friend's. In unison, the two agreed on their path with a silent nod.

* * *

><p>When the two magical girls had only just been on their way upstairs, another pair of friends had exited to the night air. Kirche in tow, Tabitha strode to her familiar. Mewling in exaggerated pain, Sylphid called to her big sister. With a mighty surge of strength Sylphid tried and failed spectacularly to free herself of the manticore's hold. Not even bothered in the slightest, Alistair adjusted his weight and pinned Sylphid gently. Another lick of his massive tongue sent tens of dragon scales scattering to the forest floor.<p>

Rather than fearful Tabitha actually raised an eyebrow in interest. As a young dragon, Sylphid's first molt usually would be assisted by an elder of her species. However, as Rhyme dragons were extinct, that had not been a possibility. Well, at least now she could stop researching esoteric wind spells and leave the manticore to the task. Another mewl sounded as Sylphid begged her sister to free her from discomfort. "Bear with it." Tabitha spoke to her familiar, and then nodded to the matronly manticore.

Kirche strode after her friend, only once looking over her shoulder to the dragon disappearing behind them. "Soooo…" Kirche drawled out, "Not that I don't enjoy evening strolls, but don't we need Sylphid?" When Tabitha didn't reply, Kirche knew she needed to press a little harder.

Tabitha's lips pursed when Kirche yawned with gusto behind her. Just grating enough to state that Kirche was willing to play the annoy Tabitha game if she was kept in the dark. "Not far." That was enough to calm Tabitha's flamboyant friend, or at least enough to get her to relent. The duo continued their walk though the ever darkening night, Tabitha seemingly knowing exactly where they were heading. It would be faster with Sylphid, but at least like this Tabitha would have a chance to speak, and she did. "Wishing wouldn't work." While the smaller girl's tone seemed neutral, Kirche knew the topic was a sensitive one and gave Tabitha the time she needed to continue. "She is well guarded." The slight twinge of sadness in Tabitha's voice caused Kirche to miss a step.

"Even if she is well guarded, together, we could bust her out." Kirche's tone was hopeful. She wanted, _needed_ to help her friend find a better path then the one she was treading. "Then we find some way to heal her. Whether it's a miracle, a wish or a shot in the dark, we find a way." Tabitha stopped when she realized Kirche had stopped walking.

Rather than turn to face Kirche, Tabitha looked down to her feet. "Kirche, I am stronger than you." Kirche pursed her lips but didn't object. She knew her friend was the better fighter due to her experience. "I am not strong." Now that almost got an objection from Kirche. Tabitha was bad at many things, but fighting wasn't one of them.

"Oh?" A new voice startled the duo. Both their heads snapped to where a figure stood stood in the shadow of a tree. Her large, toothy smile gleamed in the night as she strode into the faint moonlight. "Since your famous _rapport _is breaking down, I'll explain for little Charlotte." Tabitha tensed at the name. "Her mother will die in days without our medication and she is guarded at all times by soldiers outclassing even you." Kirche clicked her tongue in disgust. This woman, _Sheffield_, even her name caused Kirche'e face to twist in distaste. Such disgust only amused Sheffield, "But please follow through with whatever dimwitted plan you concoct, I'm sure little Charlotte would love to be free of her mother." Sheffield's smile had morphed into a glare of challenge.

For a moment Kirche met the glare, and then turned away in submission. "Fine." She ground out.

Once again Sheffield's grin of superiority filled her face. "Good, good. Just as the Founder said, 'Obey thine liege and thou shall walk with my blessing' or something like that." Sheffield moved toward the still silent Tabitha.

Noticing her friend's white knuckles clenching her staff, Kirche intervened. "I didn't take you for the religious scholar."

Sheffield turned momentarily to the ingrate she had finished with. A taunt expression overcame her face as she thought back, "I've had a recent lesson." Though her words were neutral, her face soured. "Now, report." Turning back to Tabitha, Sheffield got down to business.

* * *

><p>Tiffania was the first to awake, or so she thought, until she entered the kitchen to find Siesta cooking breakfast. "Oh, good morning Siesta." The greeting was spoken softly so as not to wake Saito on the couch a room over. The maid-turned-merchant looked over her shoulder and smiled a greeting to the half-elf. Each step as light as a whisper, Tiffania glided over to Siesta and looked over her shoulder. The girl had retrieved quite the assortment of ingredients with no discernible theme. "Eggs, fruit, bread, cheese… May I ask what you plan to make?" The curious elf smiled politely.<p>

Said elf was surprised when Siesta sighed and deflated, "I have no idea." Siesta looked at the counter once again. "All these nobles, I have no idea what to make for each of them. So I thought I would take stock of my options." She gestured to the assortment before her.

Confused, Tiffania placed a finger to her lips and wondered aloud, "Why would a merchant cook for nobles?" The question was so innocent that Siesta realized it wasn't rhetorical; Tiffania was genuinely seeking an answer.

After a slight pause, Siesta replied, "Everyone is doing so much for me. Even if I can help out this little bit, I'd like to pitch in." Once again she gestured to the counter, "But I only helped out in the kitchen for afternoon and evening meals. I don't have as much experience cooking breakfast for nobles." Once again Siesta sighed anxiously.

A switch was flipped as Tiffania recognized the behavior. An earnest child was trying so hard to overachieve she was going to trip over her own frets. "We'll just make lost bread." She warmly smiled and wrapped an arm around Siesta.

Rather than be calmed, Siesta had to hold back her exclamation. "Lost bread? You can't make lost bread for nobles! It's commoner food."

Tiffania just kept smiling and poked Siesta's nose. "_Good _commoner food. Food that nobles have never tasted. We'll just call it what Saito does, French toast." With that, Tiffania began collecting what she needed from the counter and removing what they didn't need. Soon enough, Siesta began to help Tiffania cook.

Completely in her element, Tiffania hummed softly as she set about preparing breakfast. To some, cooking for an entire party might be a challenge, but this group would eat less than half of what she was used to cooking and she had an assistant to help her. That warm smile faltered as she remembered her children. Noticing her cooking partner slow to a halt, Siesta was able to surmise what was going through her head, "Also, I'm not a merchant." She blurted the sentence out to distract Tiffania from sad thoughts. Though Siesta hadn't thought it through she realized the sentence was true. "I mean, I know Miss Zerbst is teaching me, but I don't know if I'm cut out for it." Tiffania's attention was now fully on Siesta. "Haggling for prices, learning maths, figuring out what to buy and where to sell… it's all so strange for me. I liked being a maid…"

Siesta started and made to take back what she said, only to stop when Tiffania placed a hand on her head. It wasn't that she was ungrateful for Miss Zerbst's generosity. Tiffania drew Siesta's head to her bosom. It wasn't as if she regretted her decision to reject Mott. Tiffania rubbed Siesta's back as the maid teared up. Siesta sobbed lightly, letting the tears she had kept long unshed out. "It's more obvious now, but my life has always been ruled by the whims of nobles." Between light sobs Siesta let her thoughts flow. "Even with the others protecting me, it's still just nobles protecting me from nobles." Though her tears stopped, Siesta made no move to pull away from Tiffania's embrace. "I know it's silly, but I used to dream about being a maid for a noble that was actually noble. Like Miss Louise or Miss Cattleya." The maid chuckled at her old dream. Even in her dreams she just wanted to be of a little use to a person who could do actual good for the world. "Such small dreams."

"Hardly." Tiffania's cheerful, almost jesting voice forced Siesta to look up to the elf's smiling face. "Dedicating your all to others is something I understand well. I understand the satisfaction gained from supporting those you love." Though their situations were different, the two understood each other's hearts.

The two broke apart and Siesta wiped the tears from her eyes. "Thank you." Though her situation remained the same, a great weight had been lifted from Siesta.

Turning back to her work Tiffania sliced the loaf of bread evenly. "Now that you are feeling better, I'll offer a bit more practical advice."

Siesta smiled as she returned to her own work. Lifting an egg to crack against the side of the large mixing bowl she replied, "What would that be?"

Tiffania waited for Siesta to finish cracking the egg before she replied. "Oh it is just that you have become good friends with several nobles; two of which are with their sister who is still very much in contact with their main house. If you wished to remain a maid you could always ask them for a job." Siesta dropped the empty shell in surprise.

"Eh?!" Siesta stammered as she comprehended Tiffania's suggestion. "I could never impose!" Voice wavering she tried to keep quiet despite her fluttering heart.

With a mischievous, knowing smile Tiffania nodded along. "Then it's a good thing Miss Cattleya overheard the entire thing."

Once again Siesta let out a single, "Eh?" then turned to the back of the kitchen where a smiling Cattleya stood. The Valliere in question was absolutely bursting with glee despite the early hour. "Miss-"

Siesta's words were cut off when Cattleya whirled and scampered from the kitchen. "Eleanor!" She called, completely oblivious to common decency in her excitement.

"Wait Miss Cattleya, I don-" Siesta was halted by Tiffania harshly clearing her throat.

Halfway out the kitchen, Siesta looked back in a panic. "You can't leave this job half done. It would be a terrible first impression on your employer." Siesta's head whipped between Cattleya climbing the stairs and back to Tiffania at the counter.

Her decision was made for her when Saito entered the kitchen, his form blocking Siesta's view of Cattleya. The groggy boy drew a great breath through his nose. "Oh man, is that French toast?" His dreary eyes met Siesta's.

Though Saito was too groggy to see it, Siesta visibly calmed. "Yes, it will be ready shortly." Siesta returned to the counter with a slight bounce to her step. Tiffania smiled knowingly to Siesta, who blushed and smiled in thanks.

* * *

><p>The large kitchen table barely supported the band of misfits around it. Looking even more tired and bedraggled, Eleanor sat at the head, eating her food with grace. She had been up late unraveling mysteries long since lost and her sister was asking her to hire a maid. The maid in question tried and failed to hide her interest as she kept stealing glances from the kitchen counter. Eleanor rubbed her temples, "I'll admit her skills are adequate, sister." Cattleya beamed only to get an annoyed glare from Eleanor. The blonde was still sore about being woken because her sister couldn't wait. Well, now might be a good enough time to teach a lesson in tact to her sister. "Cattleya, Count Mott would take it as an insult if mother hired Siesta." Said maid's breath caught in her throat.<p>

"That doesn't matter." Cattleya's eyes shone as she leaned in. "Our family doesn't need his approval. We shouldn't even want to associate with men such as him."

Eleanor held up a hand to stop Cattleya before she began some tirade on justice. "Regardless, we are forced to associate with him as fellow nobles. While we could hire Siesta without much fear of reprise, why antagonize Mott when there is an alternative?" Cattleya tilted her head in confusion; something that elicited a sigh from Eleanor. "Mother directly oversees the hiring of all servants save…" Eleanor let her words trailed off as she waited for Cattleya to figure it out.

Moments passed and Louise let out a suppressed squeak. Despite Louise's realization, Cattleya took several more moments to piece together the suggestion. "Ah!" She planted her fist in her open palm, "I could hire her as my handmaiden!" It was Siesta's turn to let out a suppressed squeak.

Ignoring the maid's appropriate level of surprise, Eleanor nodded and continued her lesson on noble society. "Right, then if Mott raises Siesta in conversation, mother is free to insinuate her rebellious daughter went against her wishes." Cattleya had already hurried over to Siesta and was in the process of insisting the blushing maid accept. Eleanor sighed and shook her head. Hopefully at least some of the lesson stuck.

Across the table, Louise studied Kirche. The redhead was still waking up but that didn't stop her from leaning back to read over Tabitha's shoulder. How Tabitha put up with Kirche was ever a mystery. Louise stewed with the prospect of how to best bring up her idea to Kirche. If Montmorency was right, the topic was sure to be sensitive. Handling Kirche's feelings carefully would be paramount. Apparently Louise's troubled thoughts were apparent enough for Eleanor to notice. "As you can't seem to spit it out, sister, I'll answer your question. Yes, I have made some progress on your spellbook." Though Eleanor's assumption of what preoccupied Louise's thoughts was initially wrong, Louise was now fully focused on what her sister was saying. Eleanor dabbed her napkin to her mouth with methodical precision before proceeding. "If possible, I would like to borrow Tiffania after breakfast." Eleanor's eyes looked to the elf at the other end of the table.

Tiffania was just beginning her own meal and stilled under the evaluating gaze of Eleanor. Her eyes drifted to Louise and back as the table's occupants began to watch her with interest. "I, I would love to help in any way I can." Tiffania spoke politely if a bit softly.

Satisfied, Eleanor rose and exited the room. "I'll prepare the lobby." Though Eleanor was all business, her announcement spurred the others to finish quickly and assemble in the lobby. Even as Eleanor intentionally acted professional, Louise noted that the woman waited until the last of the group entered the lobby before she began her speech. "Now, as Void magic was created to replicate the miracles of God, it has often been viewed with religious piety." Eleanor held up her finger to accentuate her point, "That foolishness has obviously led to restrictions on void artifacts such as this one." Eleanor held out the Founder's Prayerbook with what could only be described as a flourish. "The book itself is extremely sensitive to void magic. It reacted even to the false void I created with this circle. Observe." Placing the book in the center of the circle, Eleanor walked to the edge, withdrew her wand and began to chant.

Mutely, Louise realized that what her sister was doing could be called heresy, but she dismissed that in favor of the hopes before her. Louise's breath hitched as she reigned in her hopes. Whatever Eleanor had found required a steady mind. A faint light illuminated the circle and countless etchings glowed to light in a tapestry of runes. In spite of her earlier decision, Louise's eyes widened in wonder when the book twitched. The light of the runes doubled their intensity as Eleanor's willpower flared. The book exploded into motion; its pages flipped rapidly as if a storm were raging around it. Louise's could _taste_ the power in the air and though the only sound was Eleanor's whispered chanting; those words echoed within Louise's chest with deafening volume. Without so much as a flourish Eleanor finished her chant. Without any willpower feeding it, the circle grew dim and the book fell still in moments, leaving those assembled to merely stand in their own silence.

It took a moment to realize Eleanor was waiting for comments. The youngest sister obliged, "Sister Eleanor, did you just recreate the void?" Had she not seen it herself, Louise wouldn't have believed it.

Scoffing, Eleanor rejected the idea. "Hardly. My technique is merely a more advanced form of element emulation. Similar to how a fire mage would read a book created by a water mage, just a bit more complicated. However, I have only discovered how to trigger the book's magic. It refuses to accept any commands from me. I would assume actual void magic might achieve better results." Eleanor raised a hand to adjust her glasses as she inspected Tiffania. "Luckily, you have provided such an outlandish resource." Once again fretting under the studying gaze of Eleanor, Tiffania fidgeted.

Louise was still astounded. "You managed this in a single night?"

Once again Eleanor scoffed; thoroughly enjoying the praise without showing it, "Do not undervalue my effort Louise. I have been trying to emulate void magic for some time now. Applying it to this book was merely a fortuitous experiment." If she recognized the magnitude of her understatement, Eleanor refused to show it. "Now Sister Cattleya, Tiffania, if I might bother you for the day."

Raising her hand, Cattleya spoke up, "I am actually unable to cast any spells currently. I overextended my willpower."

Eleanor nodded along, "I have been informed. Nonetheless you may have valuable insight. The rest of you make yourselves scarce. I have work to do." When no one moved immediately, The blonde Vallière cowed them with a level gaze. "And do keep a lookout for the church. I moved close to the Gallian border to deter them, but there is still a possibility a paladin might investigate the sister of a supposed lich." With a task to complete and Eleanor's annoyed glare to motivate them, the others began to leave Eleanor to her work.

* * *

><p>Siesta hummed softly to herself as she cleaned the kitchen, leaving the remaining five to plan their activities at the table. "I'll remain here to keep an eye on Tiffania." Saito spoke up as he checked his musket for any problems.<p>

Derflinger was having none of it, "Like hell you will!" The sword rattled from his back. "We have an entire day to actually train beyond exercises." Saito groaned at the taskmaster's proclamation. "Hey! I said I wouldn't let up until you were worthy of wielding the great Derflinger! So suck it up and get ready!" Slinging his musket over his shoulder Saito looked to Louise with pleading eyes.

Rolling her eyes at the foreign boy, Louise rejected any hope of reprieve, "I'm sure the four of us are enough to scout the area and watch the house." Saito deflated and she continued, "I'm sure the day's training will be well worth it should you need to protect Tiffania." Sure enough, that kindled the boy's fighting spirit. Well, enough for him to drag his feet out the door with his sword yelling all the way.

Louise turned back to find that Tabitha had already risen with Kirche right behind. "Actually," Louise halted the pair, "Montmorency and I were hoping borrow each of you today." Tabitha raised an eyebrow. "Well, we are still mages and Montmorency could learn a lot from someone advanced in her element." While Tabitha evaluated the proposal with a discerning stare, Kirche's eyes exploded with passion. "And as a fire mage I am sure I could learn-"

"Of course, I would be honored to lend my advice to my junior in the element of passion!" Kirche interrupted with unrestrained enthusiasm. "Why, it is only proper for a Zerbst to instruct a Vallière. If one fell behind, our rivalry would hardly last." Louise barely kept from responding with her _own_ passionate thoughts.

Tabitha remained silent before passing a look to Kirche, "Acceptable." Then Tabitha turned to Montmorency, "We'll patrol." Montmorency nodded and followed Tabitha out the kitchen side door, only turning back once to nod to Louise.

Even as Kirche continue to rant about every little thought that flitted through her head, Louise let out a breath of relief. This would give her the day to carefully bring up Kirche's wish. The woman in question latched onto Louise and embraced the smaller girl's head tightly between her breasts. _Hopefully I don't kill her before then._ Louise steamed as Kirche let her passions get the better of her.

* * *

><p>Saito moved through the motions his sword dictated with increasing fluidity. Throughout the day, his forms began to resemble an odd dance. His feet glided upon the grassy plain as if it were a ballroom floor. In and out he continued to move to his sword's begrudging acceptance. A faint breeze trickled through the trees and rushed beyond the budding swordsman to the lake below.<p>

While the duo sporadically devolved into insults and arguments, the time between their outbursts were surprisingly calm. Louise half wondered if her friendship with Kirche was similar. The girl still enjoyed teasing her, but it was as if she were seeking a challenge from Louise. Just as Saito and Derflinger were calm as they trained, Kirche was calm as she taught Louise. "I'll admit your control is fine, but you need to be more efficient with your magic. Willpower feeds on emotions. You are suppressing them to provide that control, but if you let your heart explode with passion it will magnify the heat of your burning will!" Well, _calmer._

Still, the redhead had a point. It was well known that willpower was called such because it was intimately tied to one's will. One's emotions were related to a person's will as well. Still, Kirche was a bit better at expressing herself than Louise. To harness such emotion… Concentrating, Louise produced a flame. Emotions… From behind, Kirche's breasts pressed into Louise's back as the woman grabbed Louise's wrist to guide her. "Maybe if you can learn to harness your passion, you'll grow like me?" The last bit was whispered into Louise's ear.

The flame at the end of Louise's wand exploded outward in a massive gout of flame. "I'm a LATE BLOOMER!" Whirling on the giggling Kirche, Louise stalled when she realized Kirche's ploy. "Huh…" She looked to her wand, then back to the air where her fire and burned forth. That amount of flame for a relatively small amount of willpower.

Kirche fell in line next to Louise and studied the empty air where Louise's flame had been moments before. "See? Now manage those emotions and let them burst forth in ardent displays of your passionate heart and your willpower consumption will be far more efficient."

Louse stalled for a moment and looked at Kirche, "Don't use that word…" Kirche tilted her head in confusion and Louise let it go, "Never mind. My familiar can be a bit annoying. Just leave it at that." Idly Louise thought about the woman beside her. "What about your familiar, Kirche, is Flame back at school?" The great red salamander of Kirche's wasn't exactly portable.

Kirche shook her head, "I sent Flame to the red mountain." She gestured to one of the mountains on the horizon overlooking Gallia. "It's breeding season for salamanders and I would be quite the hypocrite to deny flame."

Louise blushed a little at Kirche's insinuation and decided to firmly change the subject. "You know, Kirche, if you teach me too well, I might just surpass you. It would be poor form for a Zerbst to lose to the Valliere she taught." Though Louise's tone was in jest, Kirche only weakly smiled in return.

Clenching a hand to her chest, Kirche nodded, "That would certainly be something." A slight wistfulness carried on the wind.

It was obvious that Kirche was stewing on whatever hidden thoughts that had Montmorency worried earlier. Okay, now to carefully bring up her healing. "Hey, Kirche," Louise pretended to be oblivious to Kirche's somber mood and strode a few steps forward. "You may have me beat on fire magic, but I have a trick up my sleeve you wouldn't expect." Louise paused until she was sure Kirche was listening.

Suddenly, the cabin door swung open, revealing Eleanor with her fist held high "Progress!" Louise bit back her annoyance at the interruption as she turned to find her elder sister actually smiling. "Come, come." She ushered the two inside. In the distance, Saito was chastised for missing a step when he tried to return as well.

Leaving the boy outside, Louise followed Kirche inside. While whatever progress Eleanor had made was no doubt good, Louise still found herself anxiously chewing her lower lip. She had been just about to broach the subject.

Inside the lobby, Tiffania sat against a wall looking thoroughly exhausted. Next to her, Cattleya used a hand fan to cool her worn out friend. "Now, Miss Tiffania. If you please." Eleanor summoned her research material, er, partner and turned to Louise. "Now, the trick is that the book isn't secured against the wrong people reading it. You need the Void to do so and only the Founder could wield it, so why bother with secrecy? No, the reason Cattleya couldn't read the book is because it was _too_ helpful." Eleanor actually made a full happy smile. This _was_ good news. "The Founder's Prayerbook contains more spells than one could fit in any single book, short of a massive tome. So the Founder enchanted a book that temporarily writes itself on command." Eleanor signaled to Tiffania and the girl held the book before her and concentrated.

Louise looked to Eleanor, then back to Tiffania. After a moment of concentration more, Tiffania spoke a word foreign to Louise's ear. "_Estell_." The pages of the book fluttered momentarily before settling. Rather than blank white pages, strange symbols glowed on the pages.

Eleanor turned to Louise, "Now you and I may see only blank pages, but I assure you Tiffania can see the incantation for the spell 'dispel' on those same pages. Cattleya confirms that it is, in fact, the correct incantation." Wait, those pages weren't blank. Louise furrowed her brow at her sister's contradictory statement. Eleanor did not notice in her academic enthusiasm. "See, the Founder knew that over time, languages change, so the real trick he performed was making the book able to read emotions, such as heightened stress, and provide spells to overcome whatever trials may plague its bearer. A little translating into the old tongue, a little degrading of the automatic searching enchantment," Eleanor all but flourished to Tiffania, "and voila, functional spellbook."

The sheer magnitude of what her sister had done dawned on Louise. "You deciphered one of the most ancient mysterious artifacts of the Founder in less than twenty four hours?" It was unreal.

It took but a moment for Eleanor to adjust her glasses while smiling proudly. "Hardly. Like I said, I have been researching this for some time, and I did have help. But yes, I do say this will put me in the history books." Eleanor's posturing was only degraded slightly by the panting elf behind her. "Still, don't get too worked up. The book responds to the exact name of a spell. So you would need to know the spell Brimir was going to use to restore the liches, _and_ how to say it in the old tongue." With a breath, Eleanor let her smile subside into a more serious look. "Now, I will spend what time there is left in the day trying a few guesses with Tiffania, but the chances of that working are slim to none. What you will probably need is firsthand material from Brimir himself."

Louise was quick to understand, "Like his journal." Just as Tristain bore the Founder's Prayerbook in reverence to their prophet, Romalia bore the Founder's Round Mirror. Lesser known was the journal from the Founder the Pope was said to keep on his person at all times; holding the Founder's thoughts and intentions with him always.

Eleanor measured Louise a moment before her face softened. "Louise… It _is_ possible we may get lucky." Internally Eleanor chastised herself for believing in ridiculously small hopes.

Such chastisement turned out to be unnecessary as Louise shook her head. "I knew it was very possible Montmorency and I would have to return and confront the Pope." Louise looked beyond Eleanor to where Tiffania had settled in next to Cattleya. The two had nodded off and were leaning peacefully against one another. Mildly, Louise thought a nap would be nice right around now.

The pinkette heard the sound of flapping wings outside, signaling Tabitha and Montmorency's return. Louise nodded to her sister, "I'll talk with her. You get some rest before you try those shots in the dark." Though Louise had the tact not to mention it, Eleanor was really becoming a mess. Even with all the proper airs she put on, the woman looked ready to fall over.

At Eleanor's weary nod of acceptance, Louise turned to go to Montmorency. The girl wouldn't like yet another leg added to their journey, but this time the end was in sight. Louise didn't wait for the hesitating Kirche, talking with the Zerbst would have to wait just a little longer.

Outside, the sun was just was hanging over the lake, ready to set within an hour or two. Tabitha was dismounting Sylphid, but with no Montmorency in sight. Curious, Louise looked around. The only other soul outside was Saito lying down in the field, no doubt driven to exhaustion by his taskmaster. If it weren't for the task at hand Louise would consider joining him. It was perfect weather for a midday nap. "Where is Montmorency?" Louise called out as Tabitha strode toward her.

Tabitha brushed the hair from her eyes when a breeze ruffled her bangs. "She found some rare reagents. She will be along shortly." Louise rolled her eyes; she could just imagine Montmorency kneeling in a field somewhere outlasting even the patience of Tabitha. The blue haired girl licked her lips at the extensive sentences.

Kirche was sure to enjoy that, Louise mused. Not quite elaboration, but a step in the right direction. Still, without Montmorency, Louise returned to the redhead. The wind hummed as if in song, ruffling the hair that had fallen in front of Kirche's face. Though her expression was obscured, Louise could tell it was melancholy. Good, her thoughts were still on her loved one. "You know, Kirche." Louise began a bit slow, "I was saying earlier you might be surprised." Once again the wind hummed melodiously to accompany Louise. She raised her arm and let her ring return to its natural egg shape. The pink gem glinted with refracting sunlight. "I can't promise it will work. But I have some pretty interesting healing magic." Kirche's wounded eyes met Louise's. Through blurred vision Louise spotted tears in Kirche's eyes. Odd, was she crying as well? Louise heard no sobs though; only the faint music carried on the wind…

Louise's soul gem hit the grass Louise's unconscious form hit the ground, she was still thinking, "_I should pick that up."_

* * *

><p>AN: So, little bit of cliffhanger but fear not! The next chapter is actually almost done. I figure two weeks give or take. A bit better than last chapter's wait…. Or the previous one…

I tend to do a little esoteric research each chapter when I hit an unexpected obstacle; such as the deck prism from chapter 10. This chapter I learned way too much about French toast, or should I say lost bread. Also, I made a crap ton of lost bread the morning after I finished this chapter. No relation at all there.


	15. Chapter 15: For Those we Cherish

**Chapter 15: For Those We Cherish**

Frantic gasps for air were the only noise that pierced the girl's panic as she ran through the brush. Brambles, saplings and trees raced by her. Her heart beat like a drum within her chest. If it weren't for the task thrust upon her she doubted she would have been able to do much of anything. As it was she had a goal and every scrap of her willpower remained focused upon that task lest her fear claim her resolve. Even if it was just her, at least she could do this much.

* * *

><p>All save two slept peacefully in the evening sun. Kirche and Tabitha stood on either side of Louise and watched her chest rise and fall, a small smile upon her oblivious face. Not but a few inches from that smile lay her still glimmering soul gem. The gentle music on the wind ceased as a third waking soul strode from the treeline. "The manticore sleeps well, but I suggest you finish your mission quickly. I only offer this aid as I have my own mission to accomplish." Sheffield spoke with mock cordiality and strode past them, returning her flute to her cloak.<p>

Flashes of light within the building signaled the summoning of golems. Tabitha clenched her staff tight as she looked to the gem below. "Tabitha, you heard what Louise said, right?" Kirche's voice barely managed not to crack under her worry.

White knuckles signaled Tabitha's inner turmoil. "Even if… Even if we could be sure, it's barely a hope at all." Stress pushed words from her. This was the only way to ensure her mother lived. This was her only path. "You can stop." _You could stop me._

Kirche raised a hand to her eyes and felt the tears upon them. Gently she rubbed them clear. "Long ago, I decided I would stand by you. Even if you are walking into hell, I'll stay by your side." Her mind set, Kirche stopped her tears and raised her foot. Even if it was just part of Tabitha's burden, she would bear it. Kirche's heel lanced downward toward the pink gem. _I'm sorry, Louise._

As quick as lightning, a white blur whipped beneath Kirche's foot and tumbled away. Silently, Id thanked clever engineering for its expandable cheeks, Louise barely fit in its mouth even with them. The glancing blow from Kirche Zerbst unbalanced it, but it took only one tumble before it was back on its feet. Its red eyes met the surprised pairs of Kirche Zerbst and Tabitha Unknown. It would several moments before their brains deduced that they could simply attack Louise's body until it was no longer operable; luckily it was not without recourse. Direct contact with Louise allowed for a degree of manual operation; enough to force Louise's body awake at the very least. The eyes of Louise's body snapped open. "_Kirche and Tabitha are enemies, evade!_" A slight increase in perceived volume had the desired effect of causing Louise to act before processing the information.

Scrambling, Louise rolled out of the way of a blade of air only to hastily meet fire with her own as she back-pedaled to her feet. "What?" Louise barely managed to keep up with her confusion when Kirche sent a stream of fire toward her. Focusing her everything on a fire manipulation spell, Louise bent the fire away from her and dived away. Once again she was tumbling to her feet to just barely avoid being burned alive.

Knowing that returning Louise to her body was paramount, Id raced toward her even as she narrowly kept herself from sustaining irreparable damage. Still, Tabitha Unknown had predicted this tactic and buffeted Id with a wide blast of wind. Id's body received negligible bruising as it was sent tumbling away. Unavoidable wide range attacks. A new strategy would need to be developed.

"Sylphid, eat." Tabitha commanded the dragon behind Id.

A newer strategy would need to be developed. Id relied on his hearing to approximate the dragon's jaw and flipped backward to land on said dragon's head. "_Louise, I am preoccupied with keeping you safe. Maintain evasion until I can return you to your body." _The dragon roared as it whipped its head up, Id leaped backward again to avoid reaching undesired speeds and landed between the dragon's wings. Small but sharp claws dug into the crevices of the dragon's scales and held firm.

Again, Louise avoided a blast of fire, "Can't you just turn invisible?!" She yelled out in panic. Louise flung a haphazard blast of her own fire only for it to be swatted away by a flick of Kirche's wand.

Sylphid the dragon rampaged around trying unsuccessfully to buck her passenger. "_Reestablishing derecognition is beyond my current limited processing capabilities._" The dragon's wings folded and it lowered its belly to the floor. It planned to roll. An even newer strategy would be required. Another leap landed Id's body upon the grass; but that left it within reach of the dragon's jaws. This was an unfortunate scenario.

Louise rolled out of the way of a blade of wind and barely shielded herself from a blast of fire with her own only for a blast of wind slammed into her. Louise's back hit the ground and the air was forced from her lungs. Not good, there was no way she could get up in time. Louise's eyes looked toward the fire glinting on the edge of Kirche's wand. No! "Wake up damnit!" Derflinger's voice sounded as Saito rocketed into Kirche, his fist slamming into her cheek and sending her stumbling. Even as Kirche stumbled in surprise Tabitha's eyes met the blissfully sleeping face of Saito. "Saito wake up!" Derflinger screamed again. He could only control Saito's body for so long. A bullet of air raced from the end of Tabitha's staff only to disappear into Derflinger. Even though the attack was successfully absorbed, Saito's body crumpled. "Saito, I can't control your body and eat magic at the same time!" Damn it all. Why did his partner have to be such a lazy bum!?

Louise was on her feet and hesitating between running for Id and running to help Saito. Kirche was already preparing another offensive and Tabitha was reaching for Derflinger while maintaining a spell at the ready. "Saito! Tiffania is in danger!" Louise yelled out as she darted toward Id and the dragon that was currently trying to crush him.

Saito's eyes snapped open just as Tabitha's hand was about to reach Derflinger. Confused as he was, Saito disregarded Tabitha and sprung to his feet. As he got up, Derflinger yelled at him,"Kid, she is an-" Tabitha's staff impacted Saito's side and he stumbled toward Kirche.

Summoning a flame Kirche cursed her dangerous element and spoke, "Stand down and I won't hurt you or Tiffania." Said flame was winked out of existence by a hungry sword.

Still clutching his side, Saito stumbled to a halt. What was going on? "These two are enemies!" Derflinger's call to his partner was outlandish, but trusted. Derflinger sang as he was pulled from his sheath and leveled before him. It wouldn't be hard to disable the two of them without hurting them. Their magic was useless after all.

Tabitha was quick to give her rebuttal to Saito's overconfident thoughts. "Kirche, Louise." Tabitha commanded even as her staff impacted Saito's gut. Saito managed to block the second strike of the twirling foci purely on instinct. So fast was Tabitha's staff, Saito could hardly believe she wasn't using some spell to boost her speed. Derflinger's silence forced the realization that he was being pressed back by a girl half his size purely on skill alone. Again and again, staff met sword. Again and again, Saito gave more ground as the longer weapon pressed him backward.

* * *

><p>Even as Saito gave ground, Louise raced to her familiar's side. Heat from behind her demanded precedence, however, so Louise whirled to meet Kirche's flame with her own. Kirche's flame curled around Louise. Even as the pinkette managed to just barely keep the flames from burning her, oxygen was stolen from the very air around her. The twin spells of flame extinguished, leaving Louise on one knee. Drenched in sweat, she panted heavily. Keeping her wand level, Kirche advanced toward the smaller girl carefully.<p>

With Tabitha preoccupied with Saito, maybe, just maybe Louise could match Kirche. She could bank on Id being able to evade Sylphid, so she could fight Kirche in earnest… or she could turn and run for it. Kirche's steeled eyes gave Louise her answer. Turning her back would be a fatal mistake. This time, when one flame met another, it exploded between the two mages of the war element. As overpowering as Kirche's flame was, Louise could see the flaw. Flame took the path of least resistance, she would make one. Again and again, scorching heat clashed between the two. If Kirche's fire was akin to a claymore, then Louise's was a rapier. Constantly parrying, Louise never met Kirche blow for blow. Mobility was her strength and she used it wisely.

Heat danced between the two and Louise began to hope. Willpower was one thing she had plenty of. She was _sure_ she had at least as much as Kirche and she knew she was using far less to match the Zerbst. If this stalemate could be held for just a little longer Kirche would begin to waver.

* * *

><p>Saito cursed beneath his breath. His firearms were in the kitchen with Siesta, a <em>sleeping<em> Siesta, most likely. Tabitha twirled her staff in and around his guard. Probing here, testing there. Alone, each strike lacked power, but that meant there was no parrying to knock her off balance. Grunting, Saito let his mind race. He needed to get within striking range and get on the offensive. Problem was that Tabitha's form seemed perfect.

That was it! When Saito realized it, he nearly slapped his forehead. He didn't need to be perfect. Launching a thrust, Tabitha easily parried him as he overextended. With a smirk he let go of Derflinger with one hand. Tabitha's staff impacted his gut and pain lanced through Saito. He could bear that pain, though. His free hand curled into a fist and crashed into Tabitha's jaw. As frail as she was, there was no way she would be used to intentionally taking injuries.

Again, Tabitha's actions disproved Saito's overconfidence. She did not sail away unconscious nor even stumble, instead, she took the hit and reached out with a free hand of her own. Words of power left her lips even as her cheek swelled. Magic was sucked from her as Saito's sword sprang into action. Tabitha's empty palm pressed against Saito's chest and she threw as much willpower into the point blank cantrip as she could. "Buffet."

At such close range even Derflinger could not eat the magic fast enough. Hard air struck Saito's body like a train and threw him backward. Tabitha was already past him even as he landed on his back, his world spinning and body aching.

Saito's cry of pain warned Louise of the approaching Tabitha but there was little she could do. Sylphid chased Id further and further from her and fighting Kirche took all her wits. Tabitha was soon to be in striking distance. All thoughts of wearing Kirche out fled from Louise's mind and in their place panic began to take hold. There was no way she could hold against the two of them!

"_Do not worry, Louise._" Id's thoughts penetrated Louise's despair. "_You were not the first I woke._"

Alistair's roar cascaded across the hills and stilled the forest behind him for fear of the beast's rage. The massive manticore paid the maid atop him little heed in his blind anger. His charge was being attacked by her own pride! Wings folding, Alistair shook the ground when he landed. With barely a thought, he swiped the closest threat away. The red furred human tumbled like a rag before the other used wind magic to cushion her. The blue furred enemy slid to a halt next to her fellow traitor and glowed with healing power. Not a chance! Alistair pounced, crossing the distance in an instant. His claws raked toward the betrayers only to be stopped as the dragonling slammed into his side. Even in his rage, Alistair understood the sentiment of protecting one's master, but that didn't grant the dragonling any sympathy. Midair, Alistair twisted to face the dragonling and move his rider further from danger. Dragon fangs found only thick mane, but Alistair's claws rent scale and flesh.

Slyphid cried a bloodcurdling scream of pain as Alsitair's claws cut through her scales. Said scream halted as his Alistair's scorpion-like tail found purchase. Venom shot into the dragon, stealing her consciousness from her. The world faded she was thrown away with barely a surge of exertion. "Sylpid!" Tabitha's suppressed voice called after her familiar.

No! Not Sylphid! Tabitha cried, barely maintaining the healing spell and her composure. Kirche's wounds mended slowly, too slowly. Wounded as she was, Kirche stayed awake; breathing despite the massive gash across her chest and gut. She looked up at Tabitha, "Run." Facing this manticore was suicide as long as Tabitha was protecting her.

Tabitha shook her head, "No." _I don't abandon my loved ones._ Kirche smiled at Tabitha, and then grunted in pain at the simple action.

The advance of the manticore was stopped when a pair of winged stone gargoyles landed in front of Tabitha. Each bore a spear pointing toward the beast that sought Tabitha's life. A distinctly feminine voice called out, "I leave you alone for a few minutes and you mess everything up." Never in her life did Tabitha expect to be relieved to hear Sheffield. The repugnant woman hovered overhead on her odd manta ray golem with an unconscious Tiffania and Cattleya crumpled at her feet, arms bound behind their backs. "Normally I'd leave you to your devices, but I need you to cover my retreat. Consider _this_," She tossed a vial down to Tabitha, "a favor for you service." Tabitha recognized the healing elixir within and drained the restorative into Kirche's mouth.

Sheffield's eyes remained glued to the manticore throughout. The beast watched her; no, it watched the unconscious Valliere next to her. The raging beast leapt at Sheffield, its rider barely managing a scream as she held on with all her might. Sheffield scattered a handful of gargoyle seeds, summoning a veritable wall of stone gargoyles between herself and the beast.

Half of the gargoyles were mercilessly shredded, but the others clung to the beast and drove it downward. With a crunch, the great beast hit the ground, the shock of the crash scattering the gargoyles. Twisting unnaturally, the gargoyles got their feet beneath them and rounded on the manticore, ready to spring into action. The beast was smart enough to know if it jumped again it would be met above and below this time. It hesitated.

"Tiffania!" Saito screamed and wrenched himself to his feet when he saw Sheffield's other passenger. Rage boiled within him and chased out any thought. Derflinger cut through the first gargoyle and then the second without him even breaking a stride. Seeing its chance, Alistair crushed the remaining two in the blink of an eye. Now was the time to go, Sheffield realized. A glance downward revealed a healed Zerbst. Good, let them die in service of her master.

However, a flash of pink drew the eyes of all assembled combatants. With Id at her feet, Louise was coiled in an impossibly bright pink light. The solid light scattered, glittering in the evening air. A breeze kicked up Louise's pink and white mantle. The cloth fluttered behind her, gleaming with the evening sun and the radiating dark light of her staff. "Put. Them. _Down_." Louise commanded with narrow eyes.

Sheffield narrowed her own eyes in return. Based on what she knew, fighting both this girl and the manticore would be impossible. "Charlotte, if I am pursued, go ahead and kill the blonde inside." Tension filled the air between Louise and the unknown enemy before her. A smile spilt Sheffield's face. "Ta ta~." She sang and ushered her manta golem fly.

Louise's mind raced as her plan formed. "Alistair, take Saito and chase them, I'll protect Eleanor." The command in Louise's voice was so much like his master Alistair obeyed it purely on instinct. Saito did not need to be told twice and clamored aboard the beast when it lowered itself. Saito sat behind Siesta, the maid was frozen in place as every muscle clenched to Alistair. Before Saito could suggest she dismount, Alistair launched himself into the sky.

She would have to trust them. Louise let out a strained breath. Saito wouldn't have agreed to stay here with Tiffania aboard that manta construct. Besides that, Louise had a question for Tabitha. "Where is Montmorency?" Louise snarled with more venom than she knew she had.

Tabitha paused to evaluate Louise. This was her first time seeing Louise in this form. By all accounts, she was far more dangerous while transformed. Even when Louise narrowed her eyes, Tabitha refused to respond to her. Talking would only make this harder. "Kirche." Her tone expressed her plan to her friend. Experience born of battle guided the actions of the two. In one motion they twirled and launched their spells at the house.

Even as Louise's eyes widened in surprise, she was already calling her magic behind her. The memory of how she did it was vague, muddled by her rage in the fight against Wardes; but even still Louise managed to conjure her energy away from her staff and into four orbs behind her. Like an arrow, Louise lanced toward the house, black and pink energy erupting behind her. Not fast enough. Pointing her staff she fired a blast of magical energy. Far faster; her orb of destructive energy overtook the lance of fire and wind and impacted the ground before them. The resulting explosion crushed the attacks meant for Eleanor, but Louise didn't stop. She reached the house mid flip; rounding the energy behind her she flared her magic and halted her progress. Whipping her staff forward Louise formed the dark energy spearhead and cut through the follow up attacks. Once, twice, three times her twirling spear split and dissipated wind and fire alike until there was naught but smoke before her. Releasing a scattering barrage before her, Louise hoped to suppress her enemy for a few moments more. "_Wake Eleanor and take her into the forest,_" Louise ordered her familiar.

Its claws could not detach from Louise's mantle fast enough. Id hit the ground with a stumble, its ability to maintain balance hampered by the recent massive g-force fluctuations. Objectively Id knew that riding on Louise had been the correct choice, but that didn't stop it from generating a little junk data in what was _not_ annoyance. Half running, half teetering, Id scrambled inside. Louise remained vigilant as the smoke cleared, ready to defend until Eleanor was safe, yet no attack came. Mildly, Louise wondered if she had gotten a lucky hit with her blind fire. No, she was never that lucky.

With a flick of her wrist, Louise swiped the last of the smoke aside. What she found caused her breath to hitch. While the area around them was dotted with craters, Kirche and Tabitha had not moved from their spot. They were chanting. Had they _both_ spent that entire time on incantations?! "_Id?_" Trepidation tainted Louise's plea for expedience.

"_We are clear of the house; delay them while we make a full escape._"

Louise gave Id barely a grunt of confirmation. Now she needed to interrupt whatever spells these two were planning on using. Louise shot forward. While close range combat wasn't her forte, if she was transformed, she definitely had the advantage over these two.

Twin voices sounded in unison. "Ifrit's Throne!" The wave of heat that exploded from the two instantly turned the grass around them to ash. A liquid orb of pure heat hovered above them, inches from their raised foci. Louise banked on instinct when the orb exploded into a hydra of flame serpents. Each trail of heat curved outward and then in toward Louise. Rolling this way, dodging that way, Louise skimmed the edge of what seemed to be countless attacks. She lanced upward only to weave in and out of a tangled mess of flame trails.

Louise fought panic as her skin was burned when she passed too close to a jet of fire. _I need distance!_ Louise lanced away desperately out pacing the attack. The magical girl broke free for a moment, but whatever relief she had disappeared when a second set of flame trails curved down ahead of her. Louise's gaze shot ever higher to see the fiery sky above. The damn spell had launched numerous trails in a massive arc. It was a Founder-be-damned cage of fire! No place left to go but down, Louise raced to the ash below. All too aware of the closing fire behind her, Louise waited until the last second before she pulled up. Her own dark energy destroyed the dirt and scattered ash as she skimmed a hair's width above the ground.

The flame trails pursuing her did not have her excellent mobility. Trail after trail hit the ground just behind Louise, forcing her beyond her limits until her knee clipped the ground, destroying the last remnants of her barely held balance. How she managed to maintain hold of her staff even as she literally bounced off the ground like a rag doll, Louise didn't know, but she was thankful for it. Before she hit the ground a second time, Louise managed to get her staff below her and pressed her magic outward. Skimming just barely to a stop, Louise caught sight of her attackers and released a desperate flurry of blasts.

Before Louise's attacks could reach Kirche and Tabitha flame serpents lanced into them from above, detonating them prematurely. At least the act bought Louise the much needed time to catch her breath and study the attack. The orb that hovered above her adversaries created countless jets of flame overhead; most of which formed the cage of fire. When she had attacked, they had completely abandoned offensive actions. So they couldn't split their attention. One of them must be maintaining the cage while the other focused on Louise.

Three gouts of flame erupted skyward then lanced downward toward Louise. Eyes narrowing, Louise recognized another limitation. Heat like this couldn't be perfectly controlled, it needed to rise first. They would have less control near the ground. Smirking, Louise strafed along the ground in a wide circle. Even as ash clouded behind her and flames crashed into where she had just been, she raised her staff and fired. Each bullet of dark energy trailed wisps of pink and each blast was met with an engulfing flame.

This spell was like nothing Louise had ever seen. Wait, spell? As in singular?! They _had_ used the same incantation, Louise mutely remembered. The magical girl cursed in realization. This was founder-damned Hexagon magic. How did these two know combination magic?! It was supposed to be known only by the royal families! She could only hope Alistair and his riders weren't in for a surprise like this.

* * *

><p>The plains whipped by below them as Alistair flew after the one who stole his charge. Onboard, Saito looked at the maid in front of him. She had his pistol tucked into her belt and half clenched his musket to her chest along with a tangled mess of the manticore's mane. They were steadily gaining, but there would still be a moment before they caught up to Tiffania. "What are you doing here, Siesta?!" He called over the wind.<p>

Said maid held on for dear life. Stuttering in fear she barely found the courage to reply, "M-Mr. K-Kyuubey said to get Alistair but he wouldn't wake up! I thought yelling into his ear would be a good idea!" Siesta tried and failed not to think about how high they were. Hunching down, she quivered with fear and clenched the musket tighter. At least she had the clarity to grab his firearms when she fled the house. Alistair jostled slightly as he flew through some turbulence which caused Siesta to shudder in fear and grip tighter.

Saito inwardly cursed. Siesta was scared enough to be a liability here. He needed to calm her, give her purpose. "I know this is scary! But you need to hold it together!" The girl had enough sense to grab his firearms before she left, so hopefully she had a bit more leftover. Reaching forward, Saito grabbed his musket but didn't pull it away. "Cattleya and Tiffania are counting on us! So, I need this." Siesta refused to move, but her grip slackened ever so slightly. Saito used his hand to remove hers and place it on the pistol in her belt. "Use this if you get into trouble!" The chances of her being able to do anything with that pistol was laughably small, but Saito understood that having even the slightest purpose helped. Hell, he was just barely holding it together for Tiffania.

Apparently, his idea was better than he gave himself credit for. Siesta grabbed hold of the pistol and leaned back enough for Saito to pull his musket free. Though her knuckles were still white from pressure, Siesta nodded. Tiffania and Cattleya were her friends; she couldn't hold Alistair or Mr. Saito back.

Siesta had no time to reconsider her grit, as a scattering of flashes signaled the summoning of several more of those stone gargoyles. Like a flock of crows descending upon an eagle, the constructs came in a clouded flurry. Alistair broke through them like a hot knife through butter, leaving shredded stone fragments falling behind. A blast of green fire awaited him on the other side of the gargoyles, but it did not touch him. The blast broke apart and was sucked into Derflinger harmlessly, "Thanks for the meal!" The sword called out in the excitement of battle.

Again, green flame was summoned by Sheffield and again, it was harmlessly absorbed. The gargoyle that had survived the Manticore's initial attack was easily lagging behind. Thinking quickly, Sheffield dove toward the lake and skimmed the water's surface. The dense gargoyle would gain far more speed from diving than the other two fliers. Sure enough, the manticore followed, intent on its prize. "Saito, behind!" Sheffield cursed as the demandable sword called out its warning.

Wheeling around, Saito saw the gargoyle poised to strike with its massive, twelve foot spear. In one fluid motion, he leveled his musket and fired. A chunk of stone peeled off the gargoyle and staggered it, but it made to raise its spear again. A second shot sounded and Siesta's shot pierced the construct's wing; staggering the beast even further. Saito would have been happy if his head wasn't currently exploding in pain since Siesta fired the pistol right next to his ear. His world danced as he shook his senses back into working order just in time to realize that the gargoyle was still coming. Throwing his musket with all his might, Saito praised whatever deity reigned in this world when the gun impacted the weakened wing, shattering it.

Wingless, the construct disappeared beneath the lake water in a great splash and Saito returned his eyes forward just in time for his head to collide with Siesta's back as Alistair unfurled his wings to stop abruptly.

"Good manticore, smart manticore." Sheffield teased while holding an unconscious Cattleya with one hand and a green flame in the other, inches from the sleeping Valliere's face. "So, how about a deal? You get one, I get one. Otherwise, I'll kill them both." Sheffield grinned when the manticore growled.

A growl matched by Saito's scowl. Damn it all. He needed a plan. Hell, he needed a miracle. Quickly taking stock of his surroundings for a chance, Saito's eyes widened as he found it. "You know…" He called out across the water. "You want to know something interesting?" Sheffield narrowed her eyes. The teasing in the boy's tone grated on her already frayed nerves. "Though I guess it might not be as effective here," Saito led up to his point, keeping his eyes locked with his enemy's, "But in my world, elves are immune to sleep effects!"

Though her arms were bound, Tiffania did not falter. No one threatened the life of her friend! Sheffield was still processing Saito's distraction when the elfling got to her feet, leaned back, and shot her head forward with all her might! An Elven skull struck a human one with crushing force. Blood spurted as a tooth flew though the air and Sheffield stumbled back. Dazed from her own attack, Tiffania stumbled and tripped over Cattleya, sending the both of them tumbling into the water below. Saito was up and diving before he knew it.

Siesta was but a hair behind Saito into the water. She may not have grown up in a harbor town, but she had spent many a childhood day in ponds. Almost as soon as she tried to swim she realized her folly. Her damn dress was preventing her movement! Reaching down, she tore a great strip up her travel dress. The action spun her just enough to catch sight of the scene above.

Alistair roared with rage when green fire collided with his face, pushing him back from where his charge disappeared beneath the water. The manticore desperately tried to rub the flames away only for more fire to scorch his fur. Sheffield pressed her advantage and summoned her remaining gargoyles. Without that boy's strange talking sword, it was a manageable task to keep the beast at bay. She still had one trump card left to play, and she could leave retrieval to it. Letting loose a piercing whistle, she began her attack.

While the sky raged above with gargoyles, fire and the screams of a certain manticore, Saito dived after the sinking void mages. His lungs burned, his body ached, but he pushed on with everything he had and more. His hands closed around the girls' waists and he pulled, but with little success. Damn it, the both of them were too heavy! Before Saito could even consider a terrible choice, another pair of hands grabbed Cattleya. In the murky depths, Saito could just barely make out Siesta. Releasing his hold on the pinkette, Saito swam up to the surface with Tiffania. The two rescuers breached the surface and gasped for much needed air. Weekend swimming lessons from back on Earth kicked Saito's mind into gear. Placing himself behind Tiffania and his arm beneath her's, he held her head above water. "Like this!" He called out over the sounds of battle above. Siesta followed Saito's example, not even second guessing the boy's orders.

The two kicked with everything they had and slowly made for the distant shore. The water shined from the flashes of green fire above, but they kicked on. Their soaked clothing weighed them down, but still they kicked on. The cold water chilled them to the bone but even so, they kicked on. Even as the last of their strength was drained, they kicked on. When they reached the shore, the duo scrambled up the grassy beach, half-dragging the void mages. Once again, Siesta looked to Saito for guidance. The boy had laid Tiffania on her back and pressed his ear to her mouth. "Not breathing!" The boy cursed and began pressing on her chest in quick repetitions. Siesta panicked, having no idea what to do.

Saito tilted Tiffania's head back and pressed his mouth to hers. Then the girl's chest rose. He was sharing breath! The realization was joined by watery coughs from Tiffania. The boy was still moving a mile a minute as he turned to see to Cattleya. Realizing that Siesta had no idea what to do, he cursed and scrambled through the grass toward her. "Partner!" Derflinger warned.

Saito turned to his left to see a very familiar and very unwelcome shape. "No shit…" He half cursed, half gawked at the figure before him.

Advancing with methodical steps strode a beast of a man, with his metal staff clinking against the ground with each step. Scars of pale flesh dotted his body with strange splotches and numerous stitches crossing every visible portion of his muscled flesh. His eyes were clouded and unfocused. His white beard and hair had devolved into an unkempt mess. The man's once pristine robes were now torn and stained with blood and dirt. Even disfigured as the man was, Saito recognized the person he had killed to defend Louise and Montmorency weeks ago.

Cardinal Tomas de Torquemada. "Begrudge not others, as even betrayed, Brimir did not begrudge his fleeing comrades." Siesta recognized the scripture the man was quoting, but the holy word sounded so _wrong_ in the deep and raspy, almost gravelly voice of this monstrosity of a man.

Saito somehow found his feet even as tired as he was. "Check for breathing." He ordered Siesta. "Use your ear." Panic filled Saito's voice. He was only holding it together by necessity. Hopefully Siesta could do the same.

The maid's voice was filled with panic as well. "She's not breathing!" Siesta glanced between Saito and the terrifying form he faced.

Holding Derflinger before him, Saito carefully watched his opponent. The man stopped without a word, his gaze jerked around for a moment before his head unnaturally locked onto the girls beyond Saito. Following his gaze, Saito continued, "Press down on the center of her chest thirty times, about as fast as your heart beats, then tilt her head back and breathe into her mouth. Do not stop." Desperately, Saito hoped he was remembering his weekend classes right. Hopefully, improper CPR was better than nothing at all.

Saito's words must have been a signal for something, because a gurgling roar resounded from the man before him. "The demons broke before Brimir's holy wrath!" It took everything Saito had not to take a step back in fear.

Siesta pumped Cattleya's chest. Tiffania's rising and falling chest proved that Saito's words held truth. She could save Cattleya, she had to! A clang of metal sounded. Siesta did not look up even as she heard Saito cry out in pain.

Stumbling back, Saito felt like his arms were going to break after just one exchange with the Cardinal. The man hadn't even adjusted his stance! He just swatted his staff into Derflinger like he wasn't even trying! A methodical, jerky step took the Cardinal a step forward. "Damn it Derf, can't you absorb his magic or something?" Saito once again needed a miracle.

Still ringing from the force of the blow before, Derflinger shot back in annoyance, "He's enchanted with spirit magic. If you stab him with me, I might be able to eat some of it, but there is no way I can manage anything more." Saito spat the water dripping from his hair to his mouth out. If he could stab the man, he wouldn't need Derf to eat his magic in the first place! With no plan, Saito charged again, hoping for that miracle.

Siesta's hands burned with strain. Her eyes blurred as wet bangs once again fell over them. She continued compressions, then breaths. Again and again, she methodically tried to do something, _anything_. "Wake up Miss Valliere. As your handmaiden I am telling you it's time to wake up Miss Cattleya!" Another breath.

Suddenly, a cough! Siesta halted, staring down in disbelief when Cattleya's chest rose of its own accord. "Saito, I did it!" She called out, looking up just in time to see Derflinger swatted from Saito's hand.

Before the boy could even think of dodging, a massive hand closed around his neck and lifted him entirely off the ground. Even as his throat was being squeezed like a rag and his vision was blurring, Saito still kicked at the abomination with all his might. His hands found his hunting knife and he jammed it again and again into the arm that held him. Even with his arm perforated barely a dribble of half clotted blood plopped from it. The Cardinal did not even flinch from the pain.

With one final squeeze from the reanimated Cardinal, Saito fell still. "No…" Siesta frantically looked for help. Alistair was being driven further and further away and no one else was in sight. The limp body of Saito tumbled past and skidded limply to a halt. "No…" Again Siesta denied it. Cardinal Tomas withdrew the knife from his arm and flicked it away. The blade landed on the ground, scattering blood to the grass. Not even bothering with the numerous stab wounds, Cardinal Tomas once again strode forward. "No…" Siesta denied. _Someone, anyone…_

* * *

><p><em>Someone, anyone…<em> Louise considered pleading for a miracle but dismissed it. She would make her own. Ash clouded the air in a thin mist. Every time the residue tried to settle, Louise was sure to blast beyond it, narrowly avoiding any number of fire jets. Letting her leg connect with the ground, Louise rebounded to tumble over a low snaking fire. Mid-spin, she let off a salvo of energy at the orb above the two. Fire lanced downward to intercept her blasts once again. Louise stowed that bit of information as she hit the ground and skated away from the counter attack. This stalemate was going on for too long. Louise needed a game changer, something they wouldn't expect.

As she was thinking, the ground rumbled. Perplexed, Louise looked down to see the ground beneath her glowing red. Founder-be-damned. Louise rocketed upward just as the flames exploded beneath her. Louise's eyes looked beyond to the trails of flame that formed her cage. Had Kirche and Tabitha tunneled those flames all the way back?! How did they have this kind of willpower!? Above and below, the fire split into hundreds of thin trails; weaving around and trapping her in a cruel mesh of fire.

No, damn it! Everything Louise could muster was thrust before her, punching a hole in the fire to escape in. With a burst of speed, she left the hole just as it closed, singeing her heel as it did. Even then, more fire came for her. She darted and weaved with every instinct, every battle-won trick she had. The black energy behind her was the sole darkness in the unrelenting light of the fire. Vertigo overtook her as she lost track of up and down, only focusing on less fire, less heat.

No no no! Spinning and flipping with desperate acrobatics, Louise was unprepared when she hit something hard and tumbled away. Mutely, Louise recognized that she hit the ground even as her staff fell from her grasp. She pushed away the pain even as she rolled along the ground, kicking up a cloud of ash to stain the white and pink of her clothing a dim gray.

Louise skid to a stop. She did not wait to catch her breath; she pushed at the ground with all her might; wrenching her head up just enough to glare at her attackers. She did not fall to Fouquet, not in Romalia, not at Tarbes and not to that damned Cardinal. She _refused_ to die here.

Across the field of ash and fire, Tabitha met Louise's gaze and faltered for a shadow of a moment. Steeling her resolve, Tabitha summoned her willpower. Now, she would end this. Fire once again lanced downward to Louise. As worn out as she was and without her staff, this was the end. Louise rolled to her back and glared at the coming fire. Louise did not look away as the flames raced toward her. Tabitha refused to turn away as well, Louise deserved that much.

The fire collided with Louise's prone form. A sea of fire rolled across the ground like a wave; turning even the dirt below to so much ash. Even protected as she was from the heat, Tabitha could _feel_ it. The discarded staff flickered from existence. There, it was done.

When the fire cleared, a black form lay still, charred wand raised against the onslaught. Louise had died fighting. Tabitha tried hard to respect Louise; tried to flee the guilt consuming her soul.

Someone gasped for air. "No way…" Kirche broke the two's enforced silence in awe. Tabitha's eyes snapped back to Louise.

Nearly every inch of Louise screamed in pain. The parts burnt beyond mere pain began to glow as the faint pink light emanating from her soul gem regenerated her flesh. She panted desperately. Creating a dome with the basic fire manipulation spell and burning away all the oxygen had been a shot in the dark, but it worked. Thank goodness that fire of theirs lacked any concussive force. Just barely. Louise rose to her feet. With her head bowed, Louise managed to stand while hunched over. She looked up with her eyes, not quite managing to raise her head.

"_I will not die here_." It wasn't a demand, a plea for mercy or a battle cry. It was a statement of fact.

Clutching her darkening soul gem, Louise felt the onslaught of despair begin. Maybe it was practice, maybe it was the fact that she knew what she was doing, but now it was far easier to shut out all her despair. Let Id deal with that, since the pest wanted it well enough. Pink light exploded once more, cleansing Louise of soot and once again summoning her pink and white clothing. Burns faded in Louise's healing light, even as her soul gem darkened further.

The sound of intense sizzling drew Louise's attention behind her. Clouds of white foam expanded like think taffy over the ground. Louise smirked; she knew that steam. Out of the foam raced a form that Louise wished had arrived just a moment earlier. Unnaturally thick steam trailed from Montmorency's hammer as she bounded across the field of dead ash. Lightly, Montmorency landed next to Louise.

"You missed your dramatic entrance by about half a minute." Louise informed, still watching the orb and the duo.

Montmorency readied her hammer, collecting more and more steam around her. "Yeah, well, I still get to say I told you so." The two smirked. "When you left me behind in that field, I assumed Kirche pressured you into a prank or something. Not _this_." The joviality in Montmorency's tone darkened to venom as she spoke. "What's the plan?" The orb rippled and a plethora of new flame streams erupted.

"Take out the orb." Louise commanded as she leapt into action. Steam exploded upward into the coming fire, slowing it just enough for Louise to land on the head of the hammer. The gears within whirled to life and the hammer expanded. Montmorency put her everything into her swing. The Hammer arched, pushing the crouching Louise with it, launching her forward in a cloud of steam with all the strength Montmorency could muster.

"**DERNIERE VAPEUR**!"

The fire broke around the steam, red and white swirling in surreal combat. Then, a form wreathed in darkness pierced through, an arrow of nothing. The short instant that Tabitha used to observe was all the time that Louise needed to pierce the energy floating above the blunette. As hot as the orb was, it had no time to penetrate Louise's impromptu armor and it fell around her. The cracking of glass was heard and with it, the fire that blotted out the sky vanished; leaving only the ashen field as evidence of the fierce battle that took place here. Louise slowed to a stop far beyond the two traitors, just as two halves of a darkening red ball of glass hit the ashes below.

Just as Louise was a veteran, so were her enemies. Kirche and Tabitha whirled to launch their spells, only to have their legs swept out from under them by hammer. Kirche hit the ground hard, but the agile Tabitha was able to roll to her feet. Not missing a beat she prepared a javelin of ice to drive Montmorency from the prone Kirche. The ice faltered from existence when Louise's staff knocked into Tabitha's, driving the foci from her grip before Louise planted the butt of her staff in Tabitha's stomach, launching her onto her back. "Give up Tabitha, you two can't have any willpower left." Dark energy hummed at the end of Louise's staff.

It was true; Kirche was barely managing to correct her swimming vision after being knocked prone and Tabitha knew that without Hexagon magic she was no match for Louise. If they had another fire stone then maybe… Tabitha's eyes fell to the drained and broken glass ball sitting in the ash.

"Should we kill them?" Montmorency's grim voice snapped Kirche's eyes open in time to realize her wand had already been taken by Montmorency. The blonde girl stood over the Zerbst, ready for what Louise decided.

Tabitha teared up. She had failed. She failed her familiar, her mother, her only friend... They would all die because of her failures. "No. Classmates fight like this all the time." Louise spoke her light words with sobriety. "Don't cry Tabitha, Alistair is called Mr. Fluffles because he's just a big softy. Sylphid will recover just fine." Louise readied her staff and gripped her emotions. "Montmorency, watch them and see what you can do for Sylphid, I'm going after Cattleya." Louise did not wait for Montmorency's agreement.

* * *

><p>Siesta placed herself before the giant monster of a man and spread her arms wide. Beyond him, she could see an inferno rage near the house in the distance. There would be no reinforcements.<p>

"Stop." The undead cardinal advanced another step. No one was coming to help, it was all up to her.

"Stop!" Her pleading fell on deaf ears. She was the only thing standing between this monster and her friends. No matter what, she _had_ to stop this man.

"_Stop_!" The back of the cardinal's hand swatted her away as one would a fly. Siesta landed dazed, her vision clouded with red. Shaking her mind clear, Siesta wiped her eyes clear and looked to her now red hand covered in the strange, thick blood of the cardinal. The cardinal was bleeding. Whatever bled could be killed. Siesta's wild eyes snapped to Derflinger, but the sword was beyond the cardinal. However, Saito's hunting knife lay but a few feet from her, dripping with the same blood that proved the monster was not immortal.

Even if it was just a little bit, Siesta would help. Her arm braced the ground and pushed the rest of her body up. Even if she was weak, Siesta would help. Her fingers closed around the knife as newfound strength flooded through her heart. Even if she had never chosen her own fate before, she was choosing now. Siesta would help her friends!

"I said _stop_!" Droplets of blood scattered from the blade as Siesta ran forward, blade at the ready. Hearing the maid approach, the Cardinal ponderously turned to her. Not even recognizing her as a threat?! Fine then!

Siesta ducked under the lazily slow backhand and twirled the knife into a reverse grip. Launching her own backhand, the blade pierced the man's chest. "Not enough!" Siesta yelled as she used the weapon as a handhold to lift her entire body upward. Her heel impacted the Cardinal's chin and sent him staggering back a step.

Still upside down and midair, Siesta wrenched her knife free and slashed across the man's chest. Faster than humanly possible, Siesta's arm blurred. In the span of a second, seven slashes crisscrossed the Cardinal's chest, tearing his tattered robes even further. Planting her free hand, Siesta flipped backwards and landed in a crouch between the cardinal and her friends. With her arms before her, she settled in a stance she just somehow _knew._ In the heat of the moment, Siesta mutely regarded the runes shining on her left hand.

The cardinal stumbled briefly; then unnatural steam began to emanate from his wounds. New scars formed where his flesh miraculously knit together. Power flooded Siesta, where it came from, she had no idea, but now was not the time to question it, she would help her friends. That thought locked safely in her heart, Siesta darted forward.

If the cardinal was a bear, then Siesta was a snake. For all his brute force, he could not touch her speed. In and out, she darted around his ponderous blows, her cuts becoming more and more innumerable. For every one that managed to heal, Siesta opened two more. The mantra repeated in her head, if it bled, it could be killed.

Far above, Sheffield's attention was drawn from the manticore. How could it need that much magic?! Connecting her sight briefly to her thrall, Sheffield cursed when she saw the maid and the runes on her left hand. That girl was the _Gandalfr_?! There was no way her thrall could win, incomplete as he was.

Biting out a curse, Sheffield turned her ray and left. Her gargoyles would cover her retreat and the beast seemed happy enough to return to the void mage. As terrible as this had turned out, it wasn't a complete loss. Sheffield retrieved the Founder's Prayerbook from within her cloak. Her master would be most pleased with the consolation prize.

Even with his body in ribbons, Siesta was surprised when the cardinal suddenly jerked to the side and ran headlong into the lake. Narrowing her eyes, she wondered if it was some sort of trick. For half a minute, she watched the water. The beat of leather wings drew her attention away. A singed and bleeding Alistair landed next to Cattleya. Leaning down, he nudged her sleeping form. "She's fine, Alistair." Siesta walked back to her friends. Tiffania and Cattleya both were breathing. Saito, Saito was sitting up, gaping at her.

"Holy _shit_."

* * *

><p>Around the time Saito was cursing in the presence of Tiffania, albeit a sleeping Tiffania, Louise was coasting overhead as she watched Sheffield make her retreat. While she could possibly pursue, it would be foolish to leave Kirche and Tabitha. Even if everyone made it out alive, the two of them were going to provide answers for what happened tonight.<p> 


	16. Chapter 16: My Love

**Chapter 16: My Love**

Any sound Louise's graceful landing would have made was drowned out by the gust of Alistair's wings as he landed just behind her. Not breaking her stride, Louise looked over those assembled in the field of ash. Eleanor was being ushered on by Id and was looking far from happy. The woman pulled a twig from her hair and glared at the familiar. "They say Brimir buried the great demon deeper than hell itself. Would you like to look for it?" The blonde raised her wand and met the eyes of Id. Burying this infuriating little thing would be wonderfully stress-relieving.

Id's tail swished with superiority. "_Again you prove the inadequacy of your logic. Do you believe yourself capable of shifting enough earth to reach depths analogous to that fictitious realm? _" Another infuriating swish of Id's tail filled the pause. _"Or was that not rhetorical? Don't tell me a supposed intellectual such as yourself is actually contemplating 'digging for hell'?"_ Eleanor's anger simply rolled past Id as it turned to face Louise. "_Louise, I have had practice in generating desired responses. You-_"

Louise simply held up a hand to silence her familiar. She should have expected something like this, forcing two of the worst know-it-all's she knew to run through a forest, but now was not the time. Pink and black coiled into the ring on Louise's hand as she let her transformation drop, the faint glow illuminating her stern features with a dark pink light. With a glare, she stopped Eleanor's words in her throat, the woman's anger turning to bewilderment. Yet it was not the glare that stopped Eleanor.

"Louise!" The eldest sister proclaimed. "_Your attire._" She hissed in warning.

Looking down at herself, Louise noted her burnt garments. The last remnants of her undergarments just barely protected her modesty. How troublesome. "Could you retrieve some spare clothing, sister?" She asked politely. The complete lack of embarrassment baffled Eleanor just long enough for Louise to press, "Please." Shaking her head, Eleanor retrieved her wand and muttered an incantation. Earth from below Louise crawled up her body and shone brightly as it was transmuted into cloth garments. It wasn't as nice as silk, but it would do.

The way Louise had simply ignored such a shameful display chased the idea of scolding from Eleanor mind. Instead, she just looked worried as the girl continued on to those responsible for the night's events.

Kirche sat in the ash, being far too tired to do any more than look worriedly toward where Tabitha and Montmorency stood glaring at one another. With her foci locked in Montmorency's iron grip, there wasn't much Tabitha could do to the magical girl, but she looked liable to try regardless. "I need to go." Tabitha spoke, gesturing toward the horse still stabled up at the house.

Louise could make out a small amount of anxiety on the girl's face. Why did she even need a horse? Scanning her surroundings, Louise looked for Sylphid without luck. Instead she found a… naked, blue-haired woman lying not far from Montmorency. Louise turned to the best person to explain the situation, "Explain."

Even though the redhead was seated, Louise's small form did not really tower over Kirche, and was rather ineffective at intimidation. However, the cold tone was enough to elicit a response. "The girl is Sylphid. She's actually a Rhyme dragon. Tabitha managed to get her to transform into her human form so Montmorency could heal her properly." Louise turned her head and looked toward Montmorency.

Accepting her friend's nod as proof, Louise turned back to Kirche and gestured to the irate Tabitha. "And her?" She noticed Kirche hesitating and continued, "I am not asking." The cold tone of the youngest Valliere gave the taller girl pause, yet it was not enough loosen her tongue.

An almost silent, but worried voice drew Louise's attention to Tabitha. "Mother." Louise was surprised to note that the ever stoic Tabitha's composure was slipping. "She has my mother." The young girl's fists clinched in frustration.

Taking that as her cue, Kirche elaborated for her friend. "That woman who attacked with us is called Sheffield; she works for Joseph, King of Gallia." Louise's eyebrow quirked and she mulled the knowledge over in her mind. "They keep Tabitha's mother as a prisoner in her manor and send Tabitha on suicide missions. If she doesn't comply or if she fails then…"

Tabitha finished for them, "They'll kill her."

With a deep breath, Louise fought to keep her thoughts calm and stated, "She is the person with a hurt mind." Kirche nodded in confirmation. "And she is the former Queen of Gallia, making _you_ the Princess." That was enough to get Tabitha to whirl in surprise. For once Tabitha locked eyes with eyes even more stoic than her own. "The Gallian king expending so much to keep you under his thumb combined with your display of royal magic was enough to raise the idea." Louise nodded to Tabitha, "You reaction confirmed it." Eyes narrowing, Tabitha's face melded into her usual stoicism, unsure of what Louise would do with the information.

Not bothering to continue the staring match, Louise looked back to Alistair. His passengers were just finishing climbing down his burnt mane. Even compared to the exhausted and beaten form of Saito, Alistair looked the worst. While the numerous spear wounds would only slow him, his entire face was burnt badly. Louise doubted he could see much of anything through those swollen eyes.

With Alistair grounded and Sylphid unconscious, Louise figured there was only one course of action. A flash of light drew the eyes of those assembled as Louise once again transformed. "I'll take you." She straddled her hovering staff and gestured for Tabitha to do the same.

Though the offer stunned Kirche and Tabitha into stupor, Montmorency was not caught off guard. "Louise-"

Hard eyes met the blonde's own. "This was the original plan, nothing has changed." Montmorency strode forward with purpose, not cowed by Louise in the slightest. "Tabitha's reasons; it could have happened to me just as easily." Even with the reference to Cattleya, Montmorency didn't stop. She reached forward and grabbed Louise by the collar.

The two girls stared into each other's eyes for a moment that seemed to last hours. Then Montmorency's eyes fell. Not out of submission, but out of suspicion. She studied the dark pink Soul Gem sitting in the crest that held Louise's mantle on. "Louise… How much did you use?" She deduced that the pinkette was once again shunting her emotions over to Id from her manner of speech.

Before Louise could consider bending the truth, Id piped up, "_She is roughly seventy-three percent of the way to her previously established limit._" The red eyes did not flinch under Louise's glare.

A yellow flash heralded Montmorency's return to normal. Releasing Louise's collar, she reached into her newly materialized satchel and withdrew the grief seed. "It has one use left. Use it if you need to." Handing the grief seed to Louise along with her approval, Montmorency nodded and turned to Tabitha. "Go ahead." Her permission given, Montmorency tossed Tabitha's staff back to the surprised girl.

Despite the acceptance of the two magical girls, Tabitha remained unsure. "Why?" She spoke softly. "Why help your enemy?" She couldn't take this kindness. Not after killing her heart and betraying these two. "You could become monsters." Why expend any of that magic of theirs for someone who was trying to kill them not two hours ago?

Montmorency quirked an eyebrow and turned to Louise. The Valliere's expression remained constant as she tried to formulate a reply. Louise's difficulty in expressing herself only served to worry Montmorency more. She had forgotten just how unnatural it was to see Louise shunt her emotions away and try to function. For her part, the pinkette knew that this was unhealthy - emotions, after all, are a part of what makes a human. She should be taking these actions as they are in order to stay true to herself, but it was just so much easier to deal with everything like this.

Seeing the hesitation in Louise, Montmorency decided to speak first, "Honestly, I'm not sure if helping you is a smart thing to do, but it is the right thing to do." The blonde shrugged, these kind of speeches were more Louise's thing, but she could fill in for now. "For whatever reason, Louise still thinks of you two as friends, so I will too." Walking forward, Montmorency placed a hand on Tabitha's shoulder. "And we look after our friends." Shifting her weight into Tabitha, Montmorency pushed the girl toward the waiting Louise. "Now hurry up and go save your mom." Again Montmorency shook her head. Even emotionless, Louise was making her soft.

With a stumble, Tabitha found herself next to Louise. When her hand was quickly grabbed and pulled aboard the staff, she was still too stunned to reply. Louise turned to Montmorency's gaze, "I'll meet you back here as soon as I can." Though Montmorency nodded in agreement, another voice interrupted them.

Steeping forward, Eleanor shook her head, "No, Louise, do not return here." Though she didn't know every detail of Louise's situation, that didn't mean Eleanor stopped thinking; she never stopped thinking. "There is a clearing roughly a mile north of the lake shaped like a crescent moon." She remembered the spot from her flights aboard Alistair. "Meet us there." After a brief pause, Louise decided to trust her sister's judgment as time was of the essence.

Satisfied that Montmorency could handle the group in her absence, Louise began to rise only to stop when Id leapt up and latched onto her shoulder. "_The probability of you becoming a witch is not negligible. I will come along._" Its tail swished under Louise's blank stare. "_To observe of course._"

Even locked in her self-enforced tranquility, Louise rolled her eyes. "Of course." Then, looking to the unsure Tabitha, Louise asked, "Are you ready?" That final push was all that was needed. Tabitha took hold of herself and nodded.

Despite her exhaustion, Kirche spoke up, "Tabitha!" A look of understanding passed between the two girls. "If you need help, just whistle." Kirche raised her hand to her lips, "Like I taught you." Eyes widening ever so slightly, Tabitha nodded and gripped Louise, signaling that she was ready.

Without sparing the others a final glance, Louise took off into the sky. The gust of wind created by Louise's takeoff was the final push to rouse the last Valliere from unconsciousness. With a great yawn, Cattleya sat up from where Siesta was tending to her. Smacking her lips, Cattleya looked around with the satisfaction of a good nap and noticed three things. First, she was outside. Two, everyone was looking at her. Three, there was a naked woman sleeping not too far from her. "Did I miss something?" She asked with cheerful confusion.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Eleanor nodded, "I think we all missed plenty, but right now there is work to do. Everyone, start packing everything you need from the house. I'm going to burn it down."

* * *

><p>As battle weary as everyone was, Eleanor tolerated no slacking as they loaded foodstuffs, clothing and various essentials into the wagon. Only Kirche, exhausted from willpower exertion and feeling the after effects of healing a fatal wound was allowed to sit and monitor the unconscious Sylphid. Stories were passed between the weary loaders as they worked. For the life of him, Saito couldn't figure out why Eleanor was so insistent on leaving as soon as possible. Getting a word in edgewise with the woman was near impossible as she scurried about her library, gathering her notes and a few select books.<p>

When Eleanor's eyes snapped to Saito, he froze in his tracks. Was she reading his mind? Storming over to him, Eleanor met his eyes. "Move." Apparently the second he stood frozen in surprise was longer than Eleanor has patience for. Placing her hand on Saito's shoulders, Eleanor forcibly pushed the boy out of the way and knelt to the stone floor he had been standing on.

Waving her wand gently, Eleanor ushered the stone floor apart, revealing an odd looking oil lantern. "Do we have everything?" She asked.

Looking behind him, Saito spied the wagon through the open door. "Just about. But… what are you doing?" Slightly nervous, Saito checked again to make sure Tiffania was outside and let out a breath of relief when he noticed her loading a bag into the wagon.

With another wave of her wand, Eleanor activated the magic within the device below her. Glowing red runes reacted to her magic, and the lantern lit. Though she wasn't a fire mage, something as simple as this was easily accomplished with a few magic circles. "As I said before; I am burning the house down." With that, Eleanor stood and strode out the house, Saito hot on her heels. Scanning those outside to make sure all were accounted for, Eleanor nodded and raised her voice. "That will have to do, everyone too tired to walk get in the wagon. We are leaving now."

Knowing how to handle her sister, Cattleya smiled and chose her words wisely. "If you could explain things to us Sister Eleanor; I'm sure we can't all keep up with you." Carefully, Cattleya lifted Sylphid and placed the blue haired dragon-turned-girl into the wagon, making sure the blanket she was wrapped in stayed on for propriety's sake.

With both her ego stroked and her orders being followed, Eleanor began to explain. "As I built this house from stone with my own magic, it is not easy to destroy. So I made sure to insert a few artifacts into key locations should I ever need to demolish my work in haste. After all, much of my research could be considered heresy. Oh, and don't worry about the forest, that fire can only burn within the house." Pausing to let her genius shine, Eleanor smirked and continued, "Now, that woman had quite the plan from what I understand. Someone like that would not be caught without a backup plan and if I were her, I know what I would do." Walking forward Eleanor took hold of the horse's reigns and began to lead the wagon away from the house. "Why, I would inform the paladins of their prey's location anonymously." Eleanor smirked as those behind her gasped in realization.

Quirking an eyebrow, Saito fell in behind the wagon so he could keep an eye on those inside, particularly his master. Tiffania sat beside Kirche and looked on as Montmorency tended to the still unconscious Sylphid. Walking beside him, Cattleya considered asking the boy to ride as well, his injuries were worse than most; but no, the boy didn't want to show weakness in front of Tiffania. Rubbing his throat, Saito thought on Eleanor's words. "Ah, I get it now." Though he doubted Sheffield was on great terms with the Paladin Order, using them wouldn't be hard. "But why couldn't you tell us that sooner?"

Shaking her head, Eleanor rolled her eyes. "There was simply no time; and there still isn't. So now is the time to _move_."

Cattleya just shook her head and leaned in to Saito. "She just likes to lecture and order people about." From the way Eleanor missed a step and her shoulders tensed, Saito inferred the woman heard her sister. Knowing she had struck a chord, Cattleya covered her smile with her hand and made to ease the wound, "But that's only because Eleanor is very smart. We are very thankful for your hard work."

Complimented before she could even work up the rage to snap at Cattleya, Eleanor turned and suppressed her blush. "O-of course, it's only natural to help my sisters and their friends."

Looking from Eleanor to Cattleya, Saito suppressed a laugh, "That was some impressive Tsundere handling." The odd looks sent his way were expected by now. Ignoring them, Saito looked toward the lake and grimaced, remembering the fight. Montmorency assured him that she would tend to Tiffania's injuries as soon as Sylphid regained consciousness, but he still worried for her. The half-elf kept touching her chest gingerly; no doubt he had hurt her ribs during the makeshift CPR. Mildly, he shook his head when he realized that he worried more about a healable injury of Tiffania's rather than the fact that he had nearly been killed by the zombie of the very man Saito himself had killed. This fantasy world was really getting to him if he could write that off. Then again, what would he do if they faced the cardinal again? He doubted his trick with Derflinger would work against a zombie even if he had his firearms. Saito nearly missed a step when he realized another problem. His musket was definitely sleeping in the murky depths. "Siesta? You don't happen to still have my pistol do you?"

A step behind Cattleya, Siesta started when she was addressed. Taking a moment to think, she smiled apologetically. "I think I dropped it when I dived into the lake." Though he knew it was coming, Saito still sighed.

Cattleya clasped her hands together. "Ah, that's right!" Turning to Siesta, Cattleya leaned in as she strode along. "I heard you saved me." Cattleya only smiled when Siesta blushed and nervously avoided eye contact. "Saito said you swam me to shore and fought off the Zombie Cardinal. How heroic~"

Siesta only blushed more and grabbed the runes on her left hand. "Well, it wasn't… " She trailed off as Cattleya leaned in to inspect the runes. Withdrawing her hand, Siesta reluctantly showed Cattleya the etchings. "These appeared on my hand and all of a sudden I felt really strong. I have no idea where they came from." Tracing the runes with her finger, Siesta's mind started to drift into deep thoughts.

Derflinger's voice interrupted her. "Gandalfr." The sword rattled from his sheath on Saito's back. "You are the familiar of a void mage, the Gandalfr, the runes grant you the ability to wield any weapon as a master while pushing your body beyond the limits of human ability." Though the sword itself seemed to still be processing the idea himself, he continued, "Now, the only void mage you kissed recently was Cattleya, I'd say you are her familiar now." Looking over his shoulder at Derflinger, Saito's eyes left the sword and turned on Cattleya and Siesta.

Cattleya's hand covered her mouth in surprise. "You kissed me?" Missing the point completely, she looked to a shocked Siesta. The maid's voice failed her as she desperately tried to explain. "Ah," Cattleya sighed in mock-depression, "My first kiss was stolen while I was asleep."

Blushing furiously, Siesta found her voice. "I was sharing breath with you, it doesn't count! And Saito told me to!" Barely keeping her voice from stuttering, Siesta pointed at the sword on Saito's back. "Besides, that makes no sense. Don't mages need the big magic circle to do that?"

From the way the sword rattled, Siesta got the impression she was being talked down to. "That circle is made to emulate void magic. Of course a void mage doesn't need it. If a void mage is in danger, their magic will know and reach out. You were just lucky you were compatible."

Saito spoke up, "That's right. Tiffania made me a familiar without any magic circle." With a slight blush he remembered the incident.

Cattleya's eyes drifted between Tiffania in the wagon and Saito. "So you two have already kissed?"

Flabbergasted, Saito shook his head. He had just fallen on her and their lips touched. It doesn't matter that it was straight out of a harem anime, "It didn't count!" He rejected in an embarrassed huff.

Thinking to herself, Cattleya looked back to Siesta. "Hmmm…" She thought as Siesta wiggled under her gaze. "I'm not sure it doesn't count." Siesta and Saito were both immediately redder.

Aboard the wagon, Montmorency shook her head as she worked her magic through Sylphid. Though her healing magic wasn't the best, she could supplement it with potions. The manticore's paralytic poison was the real problem. She half wanted to tell the others to quiet down so she could work in piece, but decided against it. From the meek glances Kirche kept sending her Montmorency decided that silence would only make the situation more awkward. That, and Montmorency suspected Cattleya was intentionally riling everyone up to keep them from worrying about Louise and Tabitha.

Letting out a tense breath, Montmorency convinced herself Louise would be fine. Louise could carry two people aboard her staff besides herself. The fact that she left Montmorency behind meant the Valliere planned to grab Tabitha's mother and run. Nothing would go wrong. Montmorency just needed to focus on the task at hand.

* * *

><p>Racing above the treetops, Louise flew faster than ever before with Tabitha's wind magic aiding her flight. The full moon in the clear sky was all the illumination they needed as they rode in relative silence, save for Tabitha's infrequent course corrections. After altering her heading slightly, Louise spoke up to reassure the girl with her. "If that woman was heading this way, we would have overtaken her by now." That golem she had been on wasn't fast enough to outrun Louise, even without Tabitha helping, and they hadn't given her <em>that<em> much of a head start.

Louise felt the arm around her waist tense. "She has messenger golems. Very fast." It was odd to hear any emotion from Tabitha. So the worry in the girl's voice caused Louise to grimace.

Mildly Louise noted that even with her emotions mostly stored in Id, Tabitha was still getting her to talk more. "What did Kirche mean about whistling?" Perhaps changing the subject would help Tabitha regain some of her calm.

As hoped, Tabitha's hand stopped clenching. "It's how she signals Flame." Louise couldn't quite place the melancholic tone in Tabitha's voice.

Flame though… That was Kirche's familiar, a salamander. "I thought it was in the red mountains?" Louise caught herself and grimaced. "Ah, a lie."

Behind Louise, Tabitha nodded, "To me as well." Tough initially surprised that Kirche had deceived her friend; Louise was quick to figure it out. "Idiot…" Tabitha muttered.

Though she was always happy to insult the Zerbst, Louise could only smile. It was obvious why Kirche would have her familiar near Tabitha's estate; to monitor the security and look for a way to rescue Tabitha's mother. "Well, hopefully we won't need the help. We just need to grab your mother and fly away as quickly as possible. Where is she located?" Settling into planning mode, Louise felt Tabitha right herself and look forward.

Point her staff into the distance, Tabitha explained, "In a room next to the indoor courtyard." An indoor courtyard? The budding plan in Louise's mind sprouted fully when she saw the manor come into sight in the distance. The building itself was comparable in size to her own family's; though the architecture was more extravagant and reminiscent of Gallia's flowery art. The east wing had a great window revealing a garden within. Aiming for that courtyard, Louise and Tabitha tensed in unison when they spotted the smoke. "Hurry." Tabitha pleaded.

Racing toward the manor, Louise spied several charred corpses around the grounds; their plate armor was emblazoned with Gallia's crest. Hopefully they weren't too late. Aiming for the window, Louise put on a burst of speed as Tabitha chanted. Magical wind shattered the window before them and like a blur, the two entered the manor. Flicking her staff up, Louise slowed to halt at the last second. Hovering just above the ground, the two dismounted without missing a step. Yet despite the noise of their entry, there was no one to greet them. The rows of pillars holding up the high ceiling cast moonlit shadows throughout the empty room. Without waiting for Louise, Tabitha rushed toward a door, her destination set. Suppressing a curse, Louise hurried after her, looking around and behind for enemies as she did.

Tabitha threw the door open. "Mother?" She called in a hushed tone. Yet no soul dwelled within the sitting room. Just broken furniture remained within. What had happened here? Rushing from room to room, Tabitha grew more and more frantic. It took everything she had to keep in control as more and more rooms turned up empty. Her mother was gone, she was too late.

Panting, Tabitha stumbled out the back of the manor in despair. Every room was empty. Not even a wounded soldier to interrogate; just corpses and even more questions. "Tabitha." Louise voice sounded from behind. "What about Flame?"

Snapping upright, Tabitha damned herself for forgetting. She needed to keep collected, for her mother. If this worked she was going to give Kirche a long and _elaborate_ thank you. Raising her pinched fingers to her mouth, Tabitha blew Kirche's tune. Two high notes followed by a low, simple yet distinctive. Tabitha paused, waiting… After several moments of silence she tried again. Still nothing. Once more, Tabitha blew with all her might, failing to get the tune right this time as her breath caught in her throat. When nothing responded to her desperate cries, Tabitha fell to her knees and sat.

Letting her transformation dispel, Louise looked down at the struggling girl. Words of comfort were difficult to find. Not just due to the situation, but Louise found herself unable to empathize. There should be an emotion there, but first things first. Looking to the soul gem upon her ring, she studied it. "_Id. How much?_"

Knowing enough to keep the telepathy just between the two of them, Id replied. _"You are eighty-four percent to your previously established limit. Know that after your next use of the grief seed, we will need to dispose of it."_ Louise thought on her options. Using the seed now would be inefficient. She should first return to the others. A sobbing sound drew Louise's attention back to Tabitha. Though the girl was managing to suppress her sadness well, her eyes were still watering.

Mustering her strength again in one final show of hope, Tabitha whistled. Kirche's tune echoed through the air, with nothing but more dreaded silence as a response…

Until a man's voice answered it. "_That won't work_." The two girls' eyes snapped to the figure exiting the treeline, and to the earth sliding alongside him, carrying the corpse of a salamander.

_Flame! _Tabitha's words died in her throat when her eyes returned to the man, or rather the long ears extending out from his head. "Elf…" She informed both herself and Louise, not believing it at first.

Nodding in confirmation, the elf waved his hand and mumbled something under his breath. The earth before him shifted aside, forming a grave. "Truly a magnificent creature. I could not leave such a loyal beast to rot." With another wave, Flame was moved into the grave. "The salamander held off the Gallian military on its own, even after being grievously injured. Only after I intervened were they able to secure your mother, _Princess of Gallia_." Tabitha tensed. "Even after they left, the salamander simply refused to die. I wonder, was it trying to return to you?" The elf shook his head bitterly. "We elves have a particular connection to nature, and as such are more attuned to it than you. I can respect this creature's burning passion; it never once thought of retreat." The elven man turned to look at the corpse one final time. "Though I had to finish it, I felt the beast deserved to at least be buried in the where its master might find the grave." With a sigh, the elf ushered earth over Flame and bowed his head in reverence for the deceased.

While the elf made his speech, Louise's mind was in overdrive. Yet before she could formulate a plan, Tabitha spoke, "Where is my mother?" She raised her staff at the elf. When he simply shrugged, Tabitha launched her attack. A spear of ice lanced rapidly toward the elf, only to stop before him and return not a moment after. Surprised to have her own attack returned to her, Tabitha was saved only when Louise pushed her to the ground. The spear of iced collided with the building behind them, implanting itself in the stone.

Louise grimaced at the display of obviously foreign magic. "That means you aren't a half-elf, I suppose." Carefully, Louise tried to elicit some words from the elf. Any drop of information she could glean could be useful.

The elf's face soured ever so slightly. "No, I am Bidashal. I am no half-elf." Louise wondered briefly if she had inadvertently insulted the elf, Bidashal apparently. "You can leave," He gestured to Louise, "I was only asked to retrieve the Princess." His eyes locked to Tabitha's.

Again Louise grimaced. So retreat was out of the question as well. Maybe if they could take off… But to do that Louise needed all the magic she could muster. She wasn't going to run from an elf with her soul gem this dark. That meant now was the time to use that grief seed. Reaching into her pocket, Louise withdrew the black gem and as she did so Bidashal's eyes widened in surprise.

"That-" not even finishing his thought, he reached his hand forward as Louise brought the seed to her ring. As collected as Louise was with her emotions stored in Id, her heart leapt in fear when an invisible force wrenched the grief seed from her hand. His calm expression now definitely tainted with distaste, Bidashal spoke with measured words. "I may not be as conservative as others of my kind, but I would not dishonor the spiritkin by letting a human hold their property a second longer than possible." Inspecting the gem, Bidashal pocketed it with a relieved breath.

Barely paying attention to his words, Louise was fighting to keep her rampant emotion in check. This was bad, very very bad. Any chance of fighting an elf lied completely on her transformation. If half the stories about elves were true, then she and Tabitha didn't stand a chance. "Hexagon magic, can we do it?" She asked Tabitha in a vain hope.

Tabitha settled into a fighting stance, her staff before her. "Not without a firestone." Of course, Louise grimaced, remembering the reagent she destroyed. Tabitha didn't even have to mention that Hexagon magic took intense practice and coordination. Louise's mind raced. They couldn't run, she couldn't fight, and the elf definitely wasn't going to be bargained with. "Run." Tabitha's voice shook Louise from her thoughts.

That was right; the elf would let her go, and she could return safely… But that wasn't an option, wasn't even worth contemplating. "There is something I should let you know." Louise reached into her pocket and withdrew her wand. "Montmorency made us all agree to never sacrifice ourselves. We always try to find a way where everyone survives, even in hopeless situations." Settling into her own fighting stance, Louise steadied her heart and once again fell into her inner calm. "I decided that you are my friend, so that applies to you as well." For a moment, Louise closed her eyes and focused. In such a hopeless situation, Louise couldn't contain all her emotions, but if she thought of those waiting for her, she could manage. Montmorency wouldn't forgive her otherwise.

Bidashal raised his hand and Tabitha's battle instincts took over. "Stay mobile." Earth shot forward and crashed into where the girls had been moments before. Splitting, the two ran in opposite circles around the elf. Each released a scattering of spells in unison, only for their fire and ice to return to them in force. Countering their returned spells with more of their own, the two slid to a halt on opposite sides of their opponent.

Louise looked beyond the elf to Tabitha. "_Talk using Id's telepathy. We need to find a weakness._" Her eyes searched her opponent as he lazily looked between the two.

With a subtle nod, Tabitha replied, "_Agreed._" With a wave of her staff and an incantation, she sent blades of air curving in large arc to her opponent. Without effort, Bidashal looked sidelong at the attack. Just as before, the attacks reversed course just as they were about to land. Tabitha was already dodging, no longer surprised by the reversal of her attacks.

The high pitched voice of Id interjected. "_I shall test to see if he must know the attack is coming._" Before Louise could even think of telling her familiar no, the Kyuubey rushed forward toward an unsuspecting elf. Bidashal's eyes met Louise's and confusion entered them when he noticed she was staring at nothing. Yet before he could deduce her thoughts, she leapt into action, once again circling to keep Bidashal's attention. Her small bolts of fire lanced toward the elf, and were returned in kind. Even as she rolled to dodge, her eyes watched as Id jumped at the elf, his little teeth gleaming. As if rebounding off a wall, Id went flying backward, its broken tooth glinting in the sunlight.

True surprise filled Bidashal's face as he looked to the empty grass where he _knew_ his magic had defended him. Tabitha knew they had to keep Bidashal busy before he checked for what he could not see. "_Melee_." A blade of razor sharp wind extended from the end of her staff and air coiled around her, speeding her reflexes and improving her agility. "Empty Razor." She finished her spell as she charged forward.

Not missing a beat, Louise pushed white hot flames from the end of her wand and ran with all the speed she could muster. Even untransformed, her body was more agile than a regular human, and she pushed it to its limits. "Flame Lance." Announcing her own spell as she planted her own foot just beyond where Bidashal's magic activated in unison with Tabitha, the two mirrored their slashes. Intense heat and cutting wind impacted the field around Bidashal, and were crushed instantly.

Surprise turning to a condescending smirk, Bidashal turned his palms outward toward each of the girls. "Spirits of wind, hear my plea." The wall of air that hit the two girls had them tumbling along the ground before they could even think of defending. Yet even then they were not out of the fight. With magical and supernatural agility, Tabitha and Louise planted their hands below them and pushed off the ground. Gaining their bearings as they flipped, the two put their feet below them and skidded to a halt.

Raising her foci, Louise uttered her spell. "Child's lanterns." The simple cantrip created dozens of heatless candle lights dancing around the clearing. As quickly as they were summoned, several winked out of existence in a path from Bidashal's hands. Seeing the invisible attack coming, Louise and Tabitha sprang out of the way. Twice the elf had used undetectable wind magic; she wasn't going to be caught again.

Bidashal tilted his head and looked at the dancing lights, "Clever." With a wave of his hand, he sent a wave of air before him toward where Id had attacked from. Lanterns winked from existence, but the Kyuubey had long since retreated to a safe distance.

After quickly resupplying the lanterns Louise studied the elf as she caught her breath. He was just toying with her, and any other time she might have been annoyed by the idea. However, now she was just grateful for the time to think. Perched in a tree at the edge of the forest, Id spoke, "_There are other creatures present, the spirits he is talking to._" Louise kept her eyes from looking to Id. _"To launch attacks he needs to communicate with them do a certain degree."_

This time when Bidashal mumbled, Louise was ready for the coming attack. Watching first for his incantation to the spirits, Louise reacted even before the attack was launched. With a flip and a spring, Louise evaded the attack and launched one of her own. Her fireball impacted the ground before Bidashal, yet when the smoke thinned he looked none worse for the wear; even shockwaves were ineffective against his strange magic. _Maybe I could get his eyes to water with the smoke and he could die of dehydration?_ Louise cynically joked to herself. Wait… Suddenly, she was struck with inspiration. "_Id, can you follow his attacks without my lanterns?_"

Far away, Id confirmed, _"My body's eyes are advanced enough to see the disturbances his attacks create."_

That in mind, Louise commanded, _"Then watch our backs."_ The blue haired girl met Louise's eyes with a questioning look, but then nodded in acceptance. She would follow her lead. Thankful, Louise ordered, _"Run for the indoor courtyard."_ In unison the two girls whirled and ran.

As soon as Tabitha's back turned, Bidashal launched his blast of hard wind. _"Jump left now." _ At Id's words, Tabitha leapt sideways and let the air pass beyond. As soon as her feet touched the ground she turned and slammed through a door into the house proper.

Also in motion, Louise darted for a nearby window. Again, Id warned of the attack. _"Jump right." _Bidashal's attack missed Louise and removed the window entirely. Were she Montmorency, Louise might have cheekily thanked her opponent. Instead Louise just leapt through the new hole into the house and made her roundabout way to the indoor courtyard. At least for now they were out of the line of fire.

* * *

><p>Letting out a breath, Bidashal calmed his annoyance and strode after the Gallian Princess. On the off chance she planned to run, he asked the wind spirits to inform him if someone left the grounds. They were generally too flighty to do anything complex like tracking, but watching was within the favors they would grant him. It wasn't hard to find the Princess; she had gone only one room over into the courtyard and was panting against a pillar. While he had no doubt the girl was tired, he was not so foolish as to neglect the idea that this was a trap. A trap he disregarded. These two humans could be as clever as they wanted; the difference between the two and himself was too great to be crossed with mere subterfuge. Raising his hand, Bidashal suggested to the wind spirits that it would be fun to rush forward as fast as they could.<p>

The girl dived out of the way and launched a scattering of ice spears. The fact that only one even got close to Bidashal was expected, she had not been looking at him after all. What confused him was that this was the second time she had dodged an attack while not even looking at him. The prospect intrigued him, so when the girl turned to stagger away, he watched as his attack was once again dodged perfectly by a girl whose eyes were looking elsewhere. Was the fire user responsible? No, that girl had resorted to that clever lantern trick. This was something else.

As if in response to his thoughts, heat began to emanate all around him. A voice, deep in incantation drew his sight to an open window where the fire user stood just outside. Hadn't she gone inside? And what kind of spell was this? Turning his back on the Gallian Princess, Bidashal raised his hand. He would remove the fire user and see if that changed anything. However, a blue blur leapt beyond him and into the path of his wind, bodily protecting the fire user. The wall of ice she summoned shattered, and she crashed into the wall, but the fire user remained unharmed.

"Fire Swarm!" The Pink haired girl called out as the Princess scurried out the window. Standing passively, Bidashal waited for the fire spell to be redirected back at the girls, yet that time never came. Instead the fire jetted forward and split into several trails of flame, each slamming into one of the pillars around the indoor courtyard, or rather the ice spears embedded in them. In moments the ice melted, leaving great holes in the pillars, weakening their structural integrity and making the sound of stone creaking against stone.

Ah, so that was their plan. Bidashal smirked and accepted that the timing to weaken those pillars and then finish them off before they gave way was quite impressive. He nodded even as the roof of the manor caved in on him.

* * *

><p>Holding her wand steady before her, Louise remained deep in concentration even as fire crawled out of every window to the half-collapsed manor. As soon as she had entered the building, she had begun lighting fires as quickly as possible on her way back to the courtyard. She did so while informing Tabitha of her plan through Id. Even if the elf's barrier protected him from mundane attacks like a ceiling of stone and glass, he still needed to breathe. That was why Tabitha was maintaining a dome of air around the burning manor and Louise was using fire manipulation to do the same. It was impossible to keep airflow stagnant over a wide area, but together they could at least slow it. Hopefully the elf would suffocate through smoke inhalation quickly enough. Together they stood vigilant, pushing their concentration to the limit. If anything was getting around the elf's defense, this would be it.<p>

The sound of stone clattering against stone sounded as the earth shifted. A piercing fear entered Louise's heart. Striding out of the rubble, a soot-stained but altogether unharmed Bidashal brushed himself off as he moved towards the girls. Stunned, Louise let her spell drop as the elf crossed the edge of her smoke dome. Bidashal let out a long, deep breath and spoke, "Thank you for filling my lungs, friends on the wind."

It was Id who recovered first. _"This should be considered cheating."_

The dumbstruck girls did not recover before Bidashal's hands whipped up and blasted them off their feet with twice the power they had faced before. Exhausted beyond their limit, the two girls slid to halt and failed to rise.

Struggling to her knees, Louise found the Elf walking toward her. For a moment, she felt despair reminiscent of the encounter with the cardinal creep into her heart, but she shunted it away. Montmorency would kill her if she gave up and became a witch here. There was a slight measure of respect on the face of her opponent. "For the second time this fight, I call you clever." Louise found the condescending respect of the elf annoying. "I have never had someone try to overcome Counter like that before. If you were against another elf, it might have worked." With a glance, Bidashal checked to make sure Tabitha wasn't going anywhere. "I'm not in the habit of leaving enemies alive, especially ones who have found a weakness in Counter, but out of respect I'll ask where you would like to be buried."

Louise's mind raced for a solution and her mouth stalled for time. "Can I at least ask where Tabitha's mother is, if I am to die here? Is she safe?" Louise's eyes flicked to where Id stood next to Tabitha uselessly.

With a sigh, Bidashal replied, "The King will have her beheaded at dawn. As for where she is? I assume still on her way to his castle." It was a distasteful situation, but he wasn't here to interfere in human affairs unless it was for the betterment of Elven kind.

A repressed sob escaped Tabitha. She needed a miracle. Her eyes snapped to the familiar near her and Tabitha voiced her last hope. "_There is one thing left we can do._" Id's unblinking eyes met Tabitha's. "_I could wish my mother here._"

Louise looked to Tabitha, unable to completely push away the fear and hesitation within her. Even still, her mind remained logical enough to think of the consequences. "_Id, can my magic heal her mother?_"

Bidashal looked between Louise and Tabitha, aware that once again something was happening that he didn't understand. After a moment of contemplation, Id replied, _"It's impossible to tell, even if we could examine her. Your healing magic is born of a miracle though. There is at least a chance." _Louise knew her familiar was trying to convince her to accept the idea. At the very least Id was sticking to his promise.

Tabitha gave voice to her thoughts once again, _"A way where everyone survives."_

Raising his hand, Bidashal decided that stopping whatever these two were doing was a good idea. Louise's eyes looked to the elf above her, back to Tabitha, and then closed shut in frustration. Damn it all… Louise knew this was probably a bad idea. "_Do it._"

Blue eyes locked to unblinking red orbs. Tabitha nodded, took a deep breath and spoke with the conviction born of the chance to finish her endless battle, _"I wish my mother were here before me." _It was selfish, even foolish, to wish her mother to her rather than to Kirche, but Tabitha had failed time and again helping her mother from afar. Here and now, she would protect her mother directly, with her own strength.

A gasp escaped Tabitha as light flared from her chest. In a stupor, Bidashal forgot his attack and turned to the spectacle of a girl's wish being granted. Louise looked on in trepidation and wonder, desperately hoping she had made the right decision.

Light as pure as the blue sky coiled into a sphere before Tabitha. Reaching out, she instinctively grasped her soul and held it close, letting it explode and envelop her. Like shattering ice, the light splintered off of her, revealing elaborate robes, woven together like a grand tapestry. Light glinted off them like crystal, giving brief glimpses of pictures in motion; glimpses of stories yet untold. The shattering light stopped frozen in midair, then a torrent of blue and white flew into Tabitha's hands. With one final flash, Tabitha stood with a book she knew well clutched in her hands.

For once Bidashal's face was completely dumbstruck. This was something he never expected and Tabitha was going to show him just what the Gallian Princess could do when her mother was threatened! Whipping her book open, Tabitha commanded the pages on instinct. She knew how to use this weapon, it was part of her. Even without the knowledge in her heart, she knew this book like the back of her hand. She had read it many times. As the pages rapidly flipped of their own accord, Tabitha named the book aloud. "The Hero of Ivaldi." The story of the Hero Ivaldi, named for his lost hometown, and his adventures as he ventured to eventually confront the evil firstborn dragon Nidhogg. Her thoughts narrowed to the chapter she sought; the beginning of Ivaldi's story when Nidhogg sent his armies to kill the hero's father, the only man capable of the sword spell that could pierce Nidhogg's impervious scales. "_Chapter One: The Father's Sword_!" Tabitha spoke from her heart as she gripped the pages of the first chapter within her hand. With a mighty pull, she tore the pages from the book's spine and scattered them into the air.

Ushered by magic born of Tabitha's soul, they flew together and formed the figure of a man clutching a sword before him. A blue flash covered the paper statue, hiding it from sight for an instant. When the light cleared, instead of a paper figure, a man of solid ice stood, clutching an icy longsword before him. Tabitha recognized the sculpture before her. This was not the man she had imagined Ivaldi's father to be. No, this was _her_ father.

Her father stood before her, and light flared between them. Ushered before her by Tabitha's wish, her mother appeared. Tabitha's book hit the grass as the girl rushed to grasp her mother's unconscious form. Shallow breaths emanated from the woman, unconscious, but alive. A tear dripped down Tabitha's face as she cradled her mother to her chest. Then, turning her eyes on the Elf before her, she glared.

Bidashal's mind was still processing the scene before him when the man of ice charged with supernatural speed. What happened made no sense. It simply was impossible! Yet the man of ice charged on his master's order, and raised his sword to strike. Though the swordsman of ice moved his mouth, the only voice was Tabitha's. "**True Strike**!" The blade that always found its target. So great was the spell that the dread dragon Nidhogg feared it.

Just as the fictional blade spell could pierce impervious scales, this blade pierced the elf's Counter. The invisible barrier shattered like glass under the blow, and when Bidashal raised his palm to strike, he found that very blade of ice thrust clean though his hand. A cry of pain emanated from Bidashal, but he still managed to call on the spirits. The wall of wind was a strong as Bidashal could muster. Like a compact hurricane it tore the man of ice apart. Panting, Bidashal watched the sword in his hand fade from existence. He would need to heal that, but there was something even more imperative. Bowing deeply, he apologized. "I am in error. My apologies." The honest, humble apology stopped Tabitha just as her hand closed about her next chapter. Even Louise, still struggling to her feet was stunned. With no reply, Bidashal once again apologized. "I did not know you were spiritkin, my sincerest apologies." Digging into his pocket with his uninjured hand, Bidashal bade his spirit friends carry the black gem to its rightful owner. Removing her hand from her pages, Tabitha accepted the jewel in bafflement. Was this some kind of trickery?

After a long moment, Louise spoke. "I'm sorry, spiritkin?"

Raising his head, Bidashal considered the two. After debating for a moment, he nodded, "I wouldn't expect you to know the name. As far as I know, there have never been any human spiritkin." Carefully, he studied Tabitha. "There is no mistaking it. A young girl, transforming with power akin to the spirits whose soul speaks on the edge of my understanding like the spirits do. The only difference from the tales is that you two are humans, not elves." That last fact caused no small amount of confusion for the elf.

Deciding to ask once again, Louise pressed. "Would you mind explaining?"

In response, Bidashal opened his mouth, and then closed it in concentration. "Actually, no." He chewed on the idea, not liking it. "While I will not oppose you, you are still humans. Explaining elfish history to you would be treason of the highest order." After a moment's thought, he offered, "Shall I at least heal you?"

Tabitha met Louise's gaze and shrugged. For a short moment Louise pondered the offer but then declined. "No. We'll manage on our own." She had fallen for such a kind gesture a few too many times.

Bidashal could not hold their suspicion against them. "Let me offer you what I can, in that case. King Joseph plans to move against Romalia, though I don't know how. He is a mage of Void and the woman, Sheffield, is his familiar. Be wary, he and those at his disposal are all dangerous." Thinking for a moment, he continued, "I'll send him word that you reclaimed your mother and I had kill you all to stop your escape. Though I doubt he will fall for it completely, he will still waste resources to investigate. That should buy you some time." A soft light enveloped Bidashal's hand as he healed it.

Leveling her gaze, Tabitha considered that this was all a ploy to heal his hand, yet the wound closed in mere moments. Not an amount of time that required a distraction. "Can you heal my mother?" Tabitha glanced to the unconscious woman in her arms.

The elf dipped his head lightly in an apologetic bow. "Such means are beyond me, but as for her immediate condition..." He gestured to the unconscious woman, "She was sedated for travel; that will pass." He looked to the girl and her mother, but said nothing more.

Louise rose to her feet. Though her stance wasn't particularly steady, she did not like kneeling before this elf. "What will you do now?" She half expected him to attack.

Flexing his fully healed hand, Bidashal replied, "I'll return to my kind. The elders should be alerted to the reemergence of spiritkin, with their permission I could explain more." Louise noted the part about a reemergence. "I don't suppose you'll come with me?" The level gazes were all he needed. "I see. In that case, I will take my leave before I anger you further. I am sure we will meet again one day." With one moderate, polite bow, Bidashal turned and left into the forest beyond.

Id followed shortly after, sparing Louise a quick glance. For several minutes, Louise waited in silence. Tabitha held her mother close, ready for what may come. Then, without fanfare, Id reappeared at the edge of the trees, trotting back to them. _"He is just walking away." _For a moment the three hesitated, realizing that Bidashal had been speaking the truth and what that meant. "_Louise_."

Shaking her head, Louise stopped Id. "_Now is not the time._" No, they needed leave while they had the chance. Tabitha held the grief seed out to Louise. Taking it with no small amount of relief, Louise considered using it then and there, but decided against it. "_First we get back to the others. As long as we have the convenience, we should conserve our magic._" As Id said, one more use and the seed would be done.

Tabitha nodded, _"Then I will take us back." _Using a bit of her own magic was the least she could do to repay Louise, who helped to return her mother to her. Tearing the next chapter from her book, Tabitha remembered what happened after Ilvaldi's father sacrificed himself to save his son. "_Chapter Two: The Roc King's Flight_." She spoke the words and released the pages telling of how the great Roc plucked the child Ivaldi from the fields and carried him safely away from his burning hometown. Just as it was in her mind's eye, the Roc King appeared before Tabitha, a crystalline recreation of her childhood story.

Gently, the two girls loaded Tabitha's mother aboard the great Roc and secured themselves on as well. In a gesture of thanks, Tabitha ran her fingers through the feathers. They were both cool like ice and soft like down; a blend that stood in contrast to their sharp appearance. Sparing only one look to the cinders behind her, Tabitha took to the skies.

* * *

><p>Pressing a hand against Tiffania's chest, Montmorency checked the half-elf once more. "No pain?" Treating everyone had been quite the learning experience, and Montmorency was giving them all another look, just to be sure.<p>

Tiffania indeed felt much better, "None at all." The girl then looked to the sleeping Sylphid.

Following her patient's gaze, Montmorency sighed, "I've done everything I can. As far as I can tell, she is just sleeping." How much weight a novice healer's diagnosis on a dragon-turned-human counted for, Montmorency wasn't sure.

Sitting silently next to Tabitha's familiar, Kirche stared vacantly at the dragon girl, deep in thought. The normally passionate redhead had fallen silent partway around the lake. Keeping her thoughts to herself was something Montmorency could understand, but Kirche was taking Tabitha's absence much too hard. The girl looked to be grieving rather than merely worried.

The crunch of footsteps behind her alerted Montmorency to the return of Saito. Tiffania was embracing him in moments. The elf asked in a worried hush, "Are you alright?" She looked over the blushing familiar boy for any new injuries.

Apparently trying to act tough, Saito couldn't entirely keep the grimace off his face as he returned Tiffania's embrace. Though Montmorency had done her best, his injuries were still quite sore. "I'm fine. The paladins are heading back east." Reaching into his cloak, he pulled out the spyglass Eleanor had loaned him. Though she called it a minor enchantment, Saito was still impressed when the glass zoomed in and out on command.

Eleanor shook her head, "Keep it." The woman was busy digging through the same box of odds and ends she had procured the spyglass from. "Most of these old projects are useful only in an academic sense, but- Aha, here we are." Closing the lid, Eleanor displayed her prize. Holding out an ornate looking wheellock pistol to Saito, she spoke with her nose held high. "For your service to the Valliere family, I thought I might reward you." The boy had lost his armaments saving Cattleya after all, it was a good reward.

Saito got up from where he sat and walked over, not sure how to take the unexpected present. "Um, thanks?" He furrowed his brow, wondering why a mage would have a pistol.

Smirking, Eleanor began with a self-centered drawl, "I _bet_ you are wondering why a noble like me would own a pistol?" Saito was not going to give her the pleasure of feeding her ego even more. "Well, I am an academic first, so I was studying the possibilities of enchantments on firearms." Reaching over, Eleanor pressed the wheel in, and smiled broadly as the pistol wound itself up. "It's an old project, and takes far too much effort to mass produce as a product, but I kept it like all my inventions."

Pulling the trigger, Saito watched as the well-crafted pistol wheel spun, sparking as it did. A simple press of the wheel and it was rearmed. "Wow, it's almost like an auto-reload upgrade… This is amazing, thank you."

Her smile only broadening, Eleanor nodded. "Of course, it _is_ my invention after all." Sure, the powder and shot still needed to be manually loaded, but that didn't matter compared to her genius.

A childlike voice interrupted Eleanor's rather pompous musings. "Can I have a toy too?" Eyes open and full of wonder, the blue haired Sylphid sat up, looking longingly at the pistol.

Montmorency nearly toppled over herself. The dragon girl was sleeping one second, upright the next. Upright and completely naked. "Saito, close your eyes." Montmorency spoke as she grabbed the discarded blanket to cover the girl's decency. "You, cover yourself."

Looking annoyed at Montmorency, Sylphid considered disobeying her. This girl wasn't her big sister. Wait! "Where is big sister!?" Sylphid stood up in a start. "Why can't I feel big sister!" Panic flooded Sylphid when she realized she couldn't feel her big sister's emotions.

As if summoned, a great roc of ice landed in the clearing before disappearing in a flash of light, leaving Louise, Tabitha and her rescued mother to be greeted by a myriad of exclaimed cheers. Tabitha's attire was not missed by the blonde magical girl, and she definitely didn't miss it when Tabitha's robes disappeared in another mote of light, leaving her usual attire. "That can't be good." She spoke aloud as she strode to meet Louise.

Recognizing her friend's worries, Louise tried to be as quick as possible. "Tabitha had to wish her mother to us. I'll explain in detail after I heal her." Completely set on her current objective, Louise only offered a nod to the rest. All were accounted for, good.

"Big Sister, I can't feel you!" Sylphid exclaimed and pushed through.

One look was all Tabitha needed. Sylphid was fine, that was a relief. However, now was not the time to entertain the young dragon. "Sylphid, transform. We will fix that later." Though Tabitha's words were short and cold, Sylphid still believed her big sister was always right. As scared as she was, doing what her big sister said still brought some degree of mental security. With a flash, Sylphid returned to her natural shape and sat patiently. It was much easier to stay motionless when all her energy wasn't crammed into such a tiny package. Turning to Kirche, Tabitha began, "Kirche, Flame-"

"I know." Kirche offered a weak smile and her first words in hours. She had felt the empathic connection with her familiar sever a while ago. "But your mother is safe, he performed magnificently." With a solemn smile, Kirche nodded her head. She wouldn't cry for Flame, she would honor him.

While she didn't want to intrude, Louise didn't have much time to waste. Though the efficiency was worth it, she refused to ignore the risk of leaving her soul gem this dark. "I'll do what I can to heal your mother, and wait to use the grief seed as long as I can." It took only a look of conviction to silence Montmorency's outburst.

Holding the grief seed in one hand and her soul gem in the other, Louise knelt next to Tabitha's mother. From within a dark gem, a pink light emanated. Louise felt inside the woman, looking for the wound. It felt so odd; like a third limb even. Her magic acted half on instinct. There, she felt the damage in the woman's mind. It was old, but like all wounds, her magic shifted it back to the way it was supposed to be, strengthening the weak tissue as it did. Just as Louise began to approach her limit, she felt the last of the wound fade.

Letting out a strained breath, Louise held the grief seed to her soul gem. "I healed something, I know that much." Taking a step back, Louise let Tabitha kneel next to her mother. The normally gaunt face of the woman was healthier by far, filling Tabitha with hope.

Keeping the telepathy just between itself and Louise, Id warned, "_Just healing damage done to the mind doesn't guarantee the mental damage has been fixed_." Id's eyes fell to the grief seed in Louise's hand. Yet before the Kyuubey could request it, the woman on the ground roused from her slumber.

"Charlotte..?" The woman questioned.

Barely suppressing dry sobs, Tabitha reached out at the sound of her real name. Charlotte of Gallia. That was her. This was her mother. "Moth-"

"Where is Charlotte?" The innocent question shattered Tabitha's world. The clouded eyes of Tabitha's mother met the girl's own and widened with fear. "Who are you!? What are you!? Where is Charlotte!?" The sound of palm on cheek sounded, Tabitha barely processed that her mother had just slapped her. The screams became more and more incoherent as the woman's hand patted her travel dress down, searching. There! She found what she sought. Withdrawing a small, simple doll she hugged it to her chest. "Oh Charlotte, I was so worried. Mommy's here." She cooed, paying no attention the frozen crowd around her.

Tabitha had not the strength to turn her eyes from the scene before her. Everything that she was, everything that made up the person of 'Charlotte' immediately left her. That doll was not Charlotte . That doll was getting her love. _She_ was Charlotte, not that doll! Her vision tilted when she stopped remembering to hold her head upright.

_It was her fault_. If only she had trusted her friends earlier. She could have used her wish to heal her mother. Her one miracle was wasted because of her weakness and foolishness. She couldn't protect her mother when she tried to. She couldn't save her mother when she tried to. Her failures, her weakness led to this doll being where _she_ should be.

_My love._

The doll, was it Tabitha or Charlotte? The blue haired girl forgot. But she couldn't forget that the doll was getting _her_ love.

_My Love._

That was right. Regardless of her failures; that was _her_ love. The unconditional love of her mother belonged to _her_. Not some doll!

_My love._

The realization swirled within the blue haired girl and she smiled. That was right after all. The realization was soothing and maddening.

__My love**. My love**. My love._ My love. My love**._ My love. _My love.** My love. **My love. _My love.**_ My love. _My love. _My love. _My love. My love. My love. _My love. _ My love. My love. _My love. _My love. _My love. My love. _My love. _**My love. _My love.** _My love**._ My love. My love.** My love._ My love. My love. _My love. My love. _My love. My love. _My love. My love**. My love. _My love.** My love._ My love. **My love. _My love**. _My love**. _My love. ** My love. _My love. My love. My love. My love. My love. My love. My love. My love. My love._ **My love. _My love.** _My love. _My love. My love._ My love._ **My love. My love. ** My love**. _My love. My love.** My love. **_My love.** _My love._ My love. _ My love. My love._ My love. My love. _My love. _My love. My love. _My love. My love. _My love. My love. My love. _My love. M y love. _My love. **My love. My love.** My love. My love. My love. My love. My love. _My love. My love. My love. _My love. My love._ My love. _My love. My love. My love. **My love. _My love. My love.** _My love. My love. _My love. _  
><strong><em> _MY LOVE! <em>**_

_ MY LOVE! _

_If I can't have that love then-_

*Pat*

A soft hand rested on Tabitha's head and drew her into a soft bosom. "There, there." Kirche's voice cooed softly. "Kyuubey. Id, right? Would it be okay if I wished for Tabitha's mother to be healed, mental damage and all?" Broken eyes looked up to Kirche, the woman smiled with such warmth that Tabitha could do naught but sit as her sobs quelled.

A swish of the tail indicated that Id was thinking. A moment later, its eyes met Louise's._ "Even with a soul gem that is nearly pure, at this rate Tabitha will succumb to despair and become a witch." _Id's eyes traced Louise's over to Montmorency.

In strained silence, the two held a solemn debate of body language before Montmorency nodded, "The path where everyone lives."

Turning her eyes back to Id, Louise gave the go ahead. _"Do it." _For the second time that night, Louise wondered if she was making the right choice. With permission granted, Id looked back to Kirche Zerbst and waited for a final confirmation.

Kirche knew what she was getting into. She knew that in all likelihood this action would lead only to tragedy, but she didn't care. As the fifth child of the Zerbst family, she was merely a side note to her family history. She would be cared for, but she was unneeded for anything more than to be married off. However, Tabitha needed her. If she could support her best friend with all her worth then Kirche could march into that tragedy with a smile. "I Kirche Zerbst, wish for Tabitha's mother to be healed of all mental damage and be returned to her right state of mind." Her piece spoken, Kirche closed her eyes and focused on the warmth in her heart.

Red light danced throughout the forest as Kirche's soul separated from her body. Her eyes widened and her hands reached for the ball of light that was her soul. As soon as they clasped around it, tendrils of flame exploded outward, snaking around her body in an infinite weave of fiery threads. As they burned away, they left red scales behind. From her cheeks down to her feet, Kirche was covered in a second skin of armor, save for the descending neckline ending just below her navel. With a great flex of her hand, the last of the fire dispelled from her fingers leaving gauntlets with fingers that looked more akin to a beast's claws than human hands.

Reaching a clawed finger up, Kirche pressed against the scales that partially covered her cheeks. There was pressure and feeling, but duller than that of skin. Mutely, she looked at the red-orange gem on the back of her forearm. The whole experience was both terrifying and thrilling, but definitely worth it.

Yes, Kirche confirmed as she looked to the light coiling around Tabitha' mother. It was worth it.

"Charlotte?" This time when the woman spoke, she looked directly at her daughter. There was confusion, fear, but more importantly, there was love. The doll, completely forgotten, fell from the woman's fingers and she latched onto her daughter with all her might. She had no idea where she was or how she got here, but that voice within her heart, the one muffled for all these years and finally set free, screamed at her to hold her daughter and never let go.

Arms shaking with uncertainty, the Princess of Gallia, Charlotte, embraced her mother. "Mother?"

"Charlotte!" It was the only word she could muster through the emotions swirling, but it was the only word that mattered to her.

"Mother!" Charlotte's grip tightened. Her eyes peeled away towards the one who made this happen. "Kirche, I-" Her voice failed her. Even for one more verbose than her, there were no words to express what she felt. Instead, when her mother's grip slackened, Charlotte flew into Kirche and wrapped her arms around the scaled woman.

Letting her transformation drop, Kirche giggled, "Whoa there, you'll hurt yourself." When the air was squeezed from her lungs Kirche wished she had left her armor on. "Or me…." She managed. Tabitha's searching eyes looked up to Kirche, causing the older girl to look away in embarrassment. "I told you I'd follow you to hell. We're best friends after all." With a gentle push, Kirche guided her friend back into the arms of her mother.

Saito's laughter burst the dam. "Now _that_ is how you get a golden ending!" Though only his reference only held meaning for himself, his joviality was universal. Despite their exhaustion, despite their injuries, despite being without shelter in the dead of night and on the run, they cheered.

It was that exhaustion that caused the group to settle down faster than they would have liked, as now that they finally were without immediate worries, sleep could be gotten. Wiping a tear from his eye, Saito looked from the happily reunited mother and daughter over to Louise, and the gem in her hand. "Well, that looks different." He spoke up loudly. The grief seed was clearly different, throbbing with an odd power on the edge of his senses.

Taken aback, by the odd turn change of subject, Louise smiled and nodded to Saito. "Yes," she said with a smile. It was taking a moment to get used to her emotions again. Ah, there was the fear at what that thought implied. She would need to rethink how readily she used that technique. "Id, you said we needed to dispose of this."

Saito looked to the Kyuubey. Nodding, Id replied, _"Yes, it has now received enough despair for the witch within to be reborn. I can dispose of it, though." _When the red oval pattern on her familiars back peeled up to reveal a black, empty void, Louise hesitated. She was used to odd things from id, but this was a bit odder than usual.

"Can I see that?" Saito ignored the familiar and kept his eyes on the strange gem. When they had pried it from the cardinal's pendent it didn't look like that. How weird.

Louise regarded Saito for a moment before dismissing him. "We need to dispose of it, sorry." She was more interested in Id's back void thing. With a light flick of her wrist, Louise tossed the gem to Id, only for it to be snatched out of the air by Saito.

Surprised by the insubordination, Louise hesitated. When Derflinger rattled on Saito's back, Louise's eyes looked to the sword. "This seems familiar…" The sword trailed off.

The others were now looking to the scene of Saito holding the gem in his palm. It stood on its small spike, refusing to obey gravity and fall over. "Isn't this weird, how come we have never really looked at this thing?" Saito spoke to himself as much as those around him.

Saito's free hand moved to grab the seed from his palm, only to stop when a memory sparked within Derflinger. Flooding his partner's body with magic, Derflinger held the boy's arm back. "SHIT! _Someone get that thing away from him!" _The swords urgency flared alarms in those assembled, but only one managed to react before she gave her mind time to think. Time slowed to a crawl as Montmorency placed one foot in front of the other, racing toward the boy as his free hand closed around the gem. Unnatural strength broke through Derflinger's resistance as Saito turned the gem on himself. Reaching out, Montmorency jumped toward Saito as his clouded eyes lost themselves in the gem. Her hand neared, but his arm was already in motion.

Montmorency collided with the boy just as his arm slammed into his own chest, knocking them both to the ground. Wrenching away his arm, she found it slack and empty, the grief seed buried spike first in his chest. "Why-" She began only to stop when the gem flared with sick darkness.

Saito _screamed_.

His veins bulged, his eyes rolled back into his head, and his back arched; but that scream was something else. An inhuman gurgle of pure despair pierced the night air. "Hold him down!" Montmorency commanded, her arms clamping down on the boys arm as Cattleya gripped the other.

Montmorency's racing mind stopped an instant later when Saito fell silent and still. The gem in his chest rolled away and landed on the grass. With her wand out in an instant, Montmorency checked for vitals. "He's alive…" She sighed out just as Tiffania reached Saito's side. It was weak, but she could definitely feel a heartbeat. A faint glow drew her attention to the boy's chest.

Even as Montmorency reached for the boy's collar, Louise spoke. "It's clean." Montmorency pulled the boys collar down revealing the familiar runes on his chest. "The grief seed is clean." Louise said again as Montmorency looked upon the boys runes; or rather the glowing darkness that filled the first rune on his chest.

A/N: While I don't remember if it happens in the light novel, I know Bidashal provides a magic "Cure Tabitha's Mother" potion in the ZnT anime. I have always considered this crap. "Oh hey now that we are done with your poorly constructed tragedy lets heal that up so you can join the harem." No, it should have some weight, some sacrifice. Hence in this setting, no such potion exists. Even if it is against canon, this improves the story.

I will also promise to have the next chapter out within the month. If only to use my honesty to beat my laziness.

Edit: Sadly fights my formatting for Tabitha's witch scene.


	17. Chapter 17: Choices

**Chapter 17: Choices**

Sheffield bit her lower lip in anxiety and hesitated before the door to her master's room. She did not fear retribution for the bad news; if she was to be punished she would simply accept it. No, she hesitated because she detested bringing bad news to her master in any capacity. Be it her fault or another's; it did not matter. He was King Joseph of Gallia and he only deserved good news.

Shifting her attention to the undead Cardinal behind her, Sheffield focused on the ring she wore. His senses became hers and she felt the strange sensation of a sixth sense fading into place. Though only vaguely, she could feel the blood pumping inside of her, and also within her master in the room before her. She smiled when she felt no other presence nearby. Thankfully she wouldn't have to deal with that viper Wardes this night.

Pushing the door wide, Sheffield stepped into the ornately decorated office and closed the door behind her. Joseph sat at the desk and paid her no mind. He simply continued to read the book before him, idly taking notes as his eyes continued their task. The dark woman waited in silence for his attention to turn to her. When his eyes finally turned to her, she quelled the anxiety in her heart and spoke, "The detachment has returned. According to their report, the queen… disappeared in transit." The man took the information in without reaction. "The elf sends word that he encountered the princess with her mother and was forced to kill both of them." Sheffield shifted under the man's gaze.

Joseph's hand reached up to his beard and stroked it as he thought aloud, "Most likely he is lying, but I would like to investigate anyway. If the elf intends to aid them, I need to know and to what extent." Sheffield held her tongue. Just as an arm did not need to know the mind's reasoning, she did not need to know why her master did what he did; she only needed to carry out his orders. Her heart dropped slightly when her master's eyes shifted from her to the thrall behind her. "How much progress has been made with him?"

The deep, unnatural voice of the undead Cardinal replied, "All are imperfect before the Founder." Joseph recalled the scripture from his childhood lessons. Should he smile or frown? As he pondered, he simply could not remember whether he enjoyed those lessons or not.

Mouth going taut with annoyance at her thrall, Sheffield replied. "It is as you see. I have finished restoring the body, and it will obey any order. Yet when I question it over the details of Romalia's security-"

Again the thrall spoke with limited provocation. "When the Founder laid down to rest, angels watched over him." Silence followed the unnatural voice's statement with only Sheffield's annoyed huff filling the air.

Clearing her throat, Sheffield continued, "It responds with useless scripture. My deepest apologies, master. If I had more time I am sure I could find a solution." Dipping her head, Sheffield bowed in apology.

The King merely waved his hand in dismissal, "The man spent his life battling the undead. I doubt there is another body more warded against undeath in all the world. It is a boon enough that you have brought him to heel." Sheffield's heart soared at the praise. "With that in mind, I would like you to lend him to Damien and his siblings."

Sheffield paused, stewing on the request for the briefest of moments. "As you wish." When Sheffield next spoke, it was without her master's provocation. "My master, I do not see why you rely on those mercenaries and their ilk. They hold no loyalty to you, only to your coin." _She_ should be enough for her master.

Joseph regarded his servant and replied, "You aren't worried about them. You are trying to get me to think of my employment of Wardes by proxy." Sheffield said nothing; there was no hiding her intentions from her master. "I have sent him on a mission to clean up after your mistakes." Anger sparked within Sheffield at the thought. "That makes you feel angry? Annoyed? Frustrated?" Joseph questioned. Though his familiar only nodded, it was enough for Joseph. Such a small thing sent his familiar's emotions tumbling. It was perplexing. Turning back to his notes, Joseph dismissed his familiar with a wave. He still couldn't empathize with his familiar, but maybe what lay before him held the solution to his problem.

* * *

><p>Despite the numerous air vents, Louise felt uncomfortably warm in the dimly lit underground safe house Eleanor had transmuted. There was no helping it, really, the only other solution would have been to construct the temporary residence above ground but that would defeat the whole purpose of the structure. From above, the residence was almost unnoticeable. Any servants of the Sheffield woman or patrolling paladins would have to stumble onto their hideout in the middle of the woods at random. So though they hadn't travelled far, they were most likely safe for the time being thanks to Eleanor's transmutation skills.<p>

Said sister sat down next to Louise as if summoned by the younger girl's annoyed thoughts. Eleanor was probably the only one of the group that was comfortable in this dungeon of a hideout; being surrounded by earth imbued with her magic. Louise looked to Eleanor and found the woman intently staring forward. Following the elder Valliere's gaze, Louise spotted the object of Eleanor's attention. Under the vent and as close to fresh air as possible, Saito lay still. Tiffania sat next to him vigilantly, only glancing away from her familiar when Montmorency came to check his vitals once again. After a moment, Eleanor broke the silence, "It's been two days, Louise. This was supposed to be a temporary solution." Closing her eyes, Louise nodded in agreement and looked to their other source of worry.

Tabitha, no… Princess Charlotte held her mother's arm and carefully helped the woman along. Simply walking across the room winded the poor woman. Though Kirche's wish had healed the woman's mind, her body had weakened from years of inactivity. The woman's muscles had naturally atrophied; something neither Louise's magic nor Montmorency's potions could fix. Only exercise and time could mend that. Louise had always respected the blunette for her skill with magic, but never had she dreamed that the girl was royalty. Louise remembered talking with the girl after learning that.

"_Tabitha._" _After the bunker had first been created Louise was gone to ask the girl to manage Sylphid. _

_Raising her eyes to meet Louise, Tabitha corrected, "Charlotte." She would not be called Tabitha again. It was an alias chose by a girl desperate for her mother's love. Those days were behind her, she was Charlotte and she would never hide that name again._

_Though Louise could only guess Charlotte's reasoning, she could feel the severity of Charlotte's request. With a nod Louise continued, "Princess Charlotte." Etiquette lessons kicked in and Louise instinctively respected the crown, even of another nation._

_Etiquette aside, Louise was corrected by Charlotte once again. "Charlotte." Though this correction held less severity, the request held import for Charlotte as well. Louise who by all rights should have been her enemy had chosen to forgive and help her. Charlotte would not allow her friend to refer to her by such a title._

_Once again Louis had to ponder what her friend met, but the tiniest of smiles could be seen on Charlottes face, something Louise knew had been missing from the girl for far too long. "Charlotte then."_

Now Louise knew her best decision could rob Charlotte of her smile. Glancing up to Eleanor, Louise met her sister's eyes. "I know. Trust me, I know. That woman has the prayer book and we still need to go to Romalia." Louise broke eye contact to rub her eyes in exasperation. "I can't decide what to do next and I'm using Saito as an excuse to do nothing, I know." On the one hand, Gallia was closer, even on the way to Romalia; but they still knew very little about King Joseph and what they would be up against. At least in Romalia, they knew what they were up against.

Sensing Louise's concern, Eleanor offered, "I could take them and anyone else back to the estate with me. Alistair will be in travelling shape soon enough." Silence fell over the two sisters. Until now, Eleanor had not said whether she planned to come with Louise or not. "Louise…" Eleanor began, thinking on a better way to explain her reasoning. "To anyone else, I would say that I will return home because mother and father should be informed, or that I am heir to the Valliere estate so my actions can put the whole of our family at risk of reprisal." Both were indeed good reasons, but there was actually something else. "But in truth, it is because I am weak." Once again Louise's eyes looked to Eleanor, surprised that her prideful elder sister would admit a fault so readily.

Closing her eyes, Eleanor dipped her head and weakly smiled. "I was never interested in magic as a weapon, only as a tool for research. I am a triangle mage and can outclass many square earth mages when it comes to enchanting and transmutation, but a mere line mage could defeat me in a duel." Even in the vast structure she had made, Eleanor understood her weakness. "Louise, I am a scholar, not a soldier. I would only be a burden." Though the thought saddened her, Louise knew it was the right decision and was happy her sister confided in her.

Looking to the room around her Louise spoke, "You have already helped me more than enough, Eleanor. Without you, we would still be floundering with no hope. Now we at least have a plan."

Eleanor huffed as her pride flared, "O-of course I helped you plenty! I am Eleanor the Artificer after all." Louise said nothing, knowing not to risk injuring her sister's pride when it was so sensitive. Instead she took a page from her other sister's book and just smiled as warmly as she could; something that only embarrassed her eldest sister more.

Cutting off the blonde woman's stuttering, Louise let her mood dampen somewhat, "Thank you for the offer. Give me some time to think on it." Indeed, there was much to think about. Like what Tiffania would do if Saito was sent with Eleanor.

* * *

><p>Across the room, Tiffania looked down to Saito with undisguised worry. His skin was still ashen and he remained unconscious, but he no longer grimaced and broke into cold sweat. It seemed that whatever ailed him was fading; hopefully, at least. That hope weakened whenever her eyes caught the deep black rune etched into Saito's chest. It was only the first of the markings, but that made it no less ominous.<p>

There was one other beside Saito. The sword Derflinger lay next to his partner. "You know," the sword spoke up, "The boy would hate to see you so worried. This is not your fault." Derflinger wasn't exactly good with people, being a sword and all. He preferred stabbing his problems when given the choice, but his partner was out of commission at the moment so he had to fill in for the stupid brat.

Tiffania bit her lip and shook her head, "If I hadn't made him my familiar, this wouldn't have happened to him." Even though she hadn't actively summoned him, even though sealing the contract had been a freak accident, even though she had no way of knowing that her familiar runes would do this to him; Tiffania blamed herself. She allowed Saito to come with her. She selfishly relied upon him. He had accepted her heritage without even the slightest of reservations. He shared the joys of raising the orphans with her. He had supported her and now he lay motionless because of her.

As a sword is wont to do, Derflinger cut in, "Oh stop already." His annoyed voice stunned Tiffania. "The boy takes every opportunity he can to say how happy he is that he is your familiar. I can just hear him now. 'Oh, how useless and pathetic I was back home. I'm so happy I'm not a useless meatbag now thanks to my master. Oh the joys of having flesh-legs!'" Derflinger's jealousy of legs aside, his exaggeration of Saito's words froze Tiffania into a stupor.

Before Tiffania could snap from her stupor, Siesta cleared her throat to announce herself and sat with them. "While I think Mister Derflinger should choose his words more carefully, I believe he is right." Tiffania's eyes looked to Siesta and the maid continued before the sword could retort. "Miss Cattleya granted me the power to chart my own course in this land." Looking to the runes on her hand, Siesta clenched her fist and continued. "I feel like I could do anything, go anywhere, but all I want to do is stand by Miss Cattleya. I think the desire to support someone dear to you is something Mister Saito understands well." Siesta's words comforted Tiffania's heart where the sword's failed to. Managing a weak smile, Tiffania looked beyond Siesta causing the maid to turn and see what had caught the half-elf's eye.

Standing behind Siesta, Cattleya smirked devilishly. "Stealing my first kiss then talking about how dear I am to you? My Siesta, you are quite the rogue." While Siesta blushed red and floundered to manage a single word through her stutters, Cattleya used the time to walk around to Tiffania's side and sit. Gesturing to the still flustered maid, Cattleya asked Tiffania, "You mentioned that familiar runes have a mental effect? Would you mind removing it from Siesta?" Tiffania blinked at the requested favor, still recovering from her earlier depression.

Leaning forward, Siesta cut in hurriedly, "Miss Cattleya, is that really necessary?" Though she didn't really understand the magic, she instinctively wanted to prove her honest intentions to Cattleya.

Shaking her head, Cattleya calmly smiled, "Siesta, If you are going to support me, I want it to be one hundred percent your own intentions." Though her warm disposition hid Cattleya's worry, she still disliked the idea that her relationship with Siesta was altered by magic.

Raising her hand, Tiffania cut in gently, "Ah, the magic just helps a familiar acclimate by reducing homesickness." In Saito's case it had been a big thing, helping him acclimate to a completely foreign world. Tiffania doubted the magic was altering Siesta's state of mind that much. That aside, Tiffania understood the innate dislike of mind altering magic. Her own spell 'Mind Wipe' was something that could be easily abused.

The maid and noble looked to Tiffania, then back to each other. After a moment it seemed Cattleya had won the debate. "Ah, maybe you could teach me the spell instead?" Cattleya raised her wand in example.

Surprised, Siesta questioned, "Your magic has returned, Miss Cattleya?" As she understood it, the woman had been unable to cast after a strenuous battle.

Tilting her head, Cattleya pondered for a moment before realizing. "Did I not mention it?" There was a pause as the other two hesitated. Did the pinkette really put so little stock in her magic returning that it was an afterthought? "It has been getting stronger ever since I contracted you, Siesta. Maybe a little exercise was all it needed." Muttering a minor cantrip, Cattleya let a tiny crack of an explosion pop above her wand. "Though it still defaults to explosions, sadly." Frowning a little, she looked at her wand.

That last bit caused Tiffania to hesitate. She and Cattleya had practiced quite a bit and found that Tiffania's magic did _not_ explode when miscast, she assumed it was a degraded form of mind wipe as that was the void spell she used. "While I would be happy to teach you my spell, if you miscast it and your magic defaults to an explosion while in Siesta's mind…" At the implication Siesta paled, imagining the results.

Placing a hand to her chin, Cattleya thought aloud, "That could be problematic."

Realizing that Cattleya was still thinking on the matter, Siesta's survival instincts bade her cut in. "Miss Tiffania, if you would?" With one eye on the still-thinking Cattleya, Siesta edged slightly away from the woman.

Silently, Tiffania agreed that it was best to just hurry up before her fellow void user did something foolish. With practiced ease, she spoke her incantation and waved her wand. The old words echoed lightly in the underground hideout. "_Mind Wipe_."

Tiffania completed her spell and felt her magic meld into Siesta's mind. Finding the alteration caused by the familiar contract was easy. As the sole magical alteration in the maid's mind it was like finding a lit candle in a dark room. The task was far easier than removing the memories of bandits when they discovered Westwood Village.

In moments, her task was completed, "Done." Tiffania informally declared.

Cattleya leaned in, looking at Siesta. "Feel any different?"

There was a pause as the maid thought. "I… I guess I want to go show off to my younger siblings at some point?" After the buildup she expected something… more. She had already moved out of her home so it wasn't like she felt the need to rush back to the vineyard. Spying slight worry in Cattleya's eyes, Siesta smiled and declared. "I'm still your handmaiden though, so maybe we could go once all this is over."

Three smiles formed as a friendship was affirmed. A fourth joined them as Saito's dry voice spoke up, "Ninja maid, _nice_." Though his body felt like a ton of bricks and it hurt to laugh, he still chuckled when three surprised sets of eyes snapped down to him.

Tiffania clung to him instantly, her eyes tearing in joy and relief. "Saito!" She cried aloud, announcing the news to everyone. Suddenly Saito understood just what marshmallow hell was when Tiffania gripped him to her chest with desperate strength. In the end, he decided that the pain and suffocation of being trapped in her bountiful chest was _definitely_ worth it.

Even as cheers resounded and the others hurried over, one person was instantly pulling the happy half-elf from the familiar. In full healer mode, Montmorency chastised Tiffania, "Stop that. I need to check on him." She at least had the courtesy not to mention that the girl could possibly harm Saito like that.

From the dumb smile on his face, Montmorency knew to disregard the flushed face as a symptom. _Men… _She grumbled to herself. With a bossy air to rival Eleanor's, Montmorency set about glaring at the jovial crowd and checking on her patient. After looking him over briefly, she checked his vitals, listened to his breathing, and checked for other possible issues. In a few moments, she was satisfied that there was nothing requiring immediate attention and so turned to the others. "Just be careful with him." She huffed, allowing the crowd to once again cheer.

As the others crowded around Saito to wish him well and enjoy in the good news, Montmorency drifted back to where Eleanor and Louise stood with somber expressions. Catching Louise's eye, Montmorency gestured for an explanation with a quirked eyebrow. In return, Louise shook her head, now was not the time and she still hadn't decided what their next course of action should be. Instead, she just studied Saito and pondered further.

The boy did his best to placate the emotional Tiffania. Now sitting upright with a makeshift chair of sacks to support him, Saito patted her head. "I'm feeling better already. So no worries okay? Really, if anyone should be sorry it's my stupid sword." Tactfully shifting blame, Saito gave an annoyed look to Derflinger. "You could have warned me about whatever the hell that was a little earlier, Derf."

Rattling in his sheath, Derflinger shot back, "I forgot, asshole! You try remembering things from six-thousand years ago!" Even without eyes it was particularly obvious that Derflinger was trying to glare at Saito.

Mildly annoyed and mildly annoyed that it was mildly annoyed, Id interjected. "_Inefficient construct. I can easily recall memories twice that age with perfect clarity. Upgrade yourself and explain why that magic interacts with grief seeds." _Still mildly annoyed twice, make that thrice, over; Id decided that this was definitely one of the cons of its research into emotions.

Surprised by her familiar's words, Louise spied the beast sitting near Saito and walked over. "I too would like an answer." Innately Louise understood that this mystery was linked to Bidashal's strange actions and spiritkin.

Rattling even louder now that more flesh-legged people were teaming up on him, Derflinger snapped at them. "I'm telling you I only remembered when I saw Saito looking at the grief seed." Lowering his volume Derflinger explained, "As far as I can recall, the Lifdrasir runes were made to absorb the grief seed's darkness, but the Myozunitonirun is supposed to regulate the transfer and it was originally intended for elves. So I was pretty sure the process could be dangerous." The sword paused, realizing everyone was staring at him. "Don't be surprised, I _was_ the first Gandalfr's sword. It's only natural I should know this stuff." Slightly miffed that his intelligence was being underestimated, the sword huffed. "Just because I don't remember anything else, don't forget I'm still the great Derflinger."

Giving up on the hope that the construct could illuminate the many mysteries, Id turned to Louise. _"At the very least, that confirms a relationship between Void magic and grief seeds."_ Of course, that itself raised many new questions.

Louise nodded, "Back when I first summoned you, you told me there were no witches around, but grief seeds come from witches and the church has plenty of those." Though she originally knew them as Void Stones, Louise was familiar with the churches practice of collecting them as 'holy stones'. "Were you bending the truth back then?" She knew better than to straight out say 'lying' lest she get another lecture about Id's view on deception.

Even with Louise's tactful words, Id's tail still swished at the implication. _"I was not. From then until now, I have detected no witches, no magical girls, and no others of my kind. If any of the three exists in this world, I would have detected them." _Tail still swishing, Id pondered.

Charlotte interjected in her usual minimalist manner, "Spiritkin." Indeed, the Elf had seemed to recognize them as something other than magical girls.

Id's tail stopped swishing. With its excellent research into emotions, it was able to estimate some negative reactions from the next part of his explanation. Regardless, information must be shared. "_The term 'magical girl' was chosen specifically to be understandable and to generate desired responses from candidates back on earth, specifically Japan."_ Id looked to Saito.

Realizing he was being promoted, Saito cleared his throat, "Louise, remember that story I told to the children about the girl, Nanoha?" Though Louise had only caught part of the tale, she remembered well enough to draw connections between the girl and her own magic. "There are a lot more stories like that one where I come from; stories where a young girl is given the ability to transform and defend the public from monsters. Usually a cute little animal companion gives them their powers and acts as an advisor. We call them 'magical girl' stories." As people thought on Saito's words, the more sharp witted among them found their eyes once again resting on Id.

The familiar nodded in confirmation, _"Both the terms I use and the body I inhabit were designed in accordance with those tales. In the past, other variations were used for the same purpose. I suspect the term spiritkin might have been developed in the same way."_ Id's tail renewed its swishing.

Breaking the silence, Montmorency deadpanned, "Every time we find out something new about you, I find it harder and harder to believe you are 'incapable of deception.'" When Id's eyes turned on hers, Montmorency just gave the familiar a challenging glare.

In desperation to not end up with the migraine an argument between Montmorency and Id was sure to cause, Louise cut in, "But you say there is no sign of your kind here, Id." She tactfully moved the conversation back on course.

After a moment's hesitation, Id turned from Montmorency_, "I can assure you there is none of my kind within this solar system; which is why I am not confident in my hypothesis. Nevertheless, the similarities should be noted."_

In her usual irreverent manner, Kirche raised her hand and asked, "Am I the only one lost here?" From beside her, Charlotte's mother smiled weakly. She understood that all this related to her daughter somehow, but she was far past confused. Yet before anyone could further agree with Kirche, Saito's stomach let out a growl to put bears to shame.

Siesta lightly interjected, "Maybe an explanation over dinner would be best, the stew is almost ready!"

* * *

><p>The stew was delicious as usual. Saito suspected that Siesta used some kind of hidden magic to turn spare ingredients into pure perfection. The first half of the meal made him feel like he was back in kindergarten, though. What with Louise and Id explaining what they knew and answering questions in an orderly manner while Montmorency continuously chastised him for eating too fast. As the meal wound down and his sated appetite left him eating at an acceptable pace, Montmorency left him alone.<p>

Taking a breath, he asked a question that had been on his mind, "Derf," he began with slight hesitation, "You want to be given to Siesta, right?" Several seats away, Siesta stopped her conversation with Tiffania, hearing her name. The sword lying next to Saito remained silent, prompting Saito to continue. "You always said you were meant for the Gandalfr's hands, and well… there she is." For once, the two weren't at each other's throats.

Getting no response, Saito reached down to grab the sword. As soon as his hand closed around the blade, he felt the familiar feel of magic rushing into his body. A force within his arm wrenched the blade up and smacked the hilt right into his face. "Oi oi! You think you can get out of _my _training brat! You aren't getting rid of me until you're a master swordsman!" The blade yelled and forced Saito to press his hilt into the boy's face until the kid fell back into his little throne of sacks.

Pushing against Derf's magic, Saito's muscles slowly overpowered the sword's magic and pushed the hilt back a few centimeters. "Stupid…. Sword…." He ground out in exertion.

Putting on a burst of strength, Derflinger once again pressed into Saito's face, easily overpowering the boy's still-weak body. "Yeah, well, you are stuck with this stupid sword." Releasing his magic, Derflinger let Saito push him away and spoke in a more jovial tone, "Got that, partner?"

For a moment Saito sat with a dumb look on his face, and then smiled. "Got it, partner." Pumping his fist Saito declared, "I'll be up and training in no time."

Healer senses flaring, Montmorency immediately rained on the camaraderie parade. "Not until I give you permission. Absorbing that grief seed put a huge strain on your body. In fact, you should probably still be resting." If she was feeling charitable, Saito would be allowed to walk on his own power tomorrow.

At the mention of the runes, Id spoke up, _"On that subject, it would be advisable not to use that ability again under any circumstance."_ Red eyes locked to Saito's chest.

Montmorency paused in surprise, then turned to Id. "Now I _know_ you aren't saying that out of concern for Saito and I'm fairly sure you would like Louise to be using as much magic as possible, so why exactly is using Saito to cleanse grief seeds not _advisable_?" Id acting in a purely benevolent fashion raised way too many alarm bells for Montmorency.

Id glanced to Louise, correctly assuming the girl had taken notice. "_On earth, there is a witch called Walpurgisnacht. It is so powerful, it is better understood as a natural disaster. Any city it appears in is quickly destroyed."_ Id paused to let the humans process the information. _"The Walpurgisnacht was created when several witches fused into one being. When Saito absorbed enough despair to resurrect one witch, one of nine runes turned black."_ Id looked to the boy in question. _"I worry that a witch similar to the Walpurgisnacht could possibly be born if more grief seeds are cleansed."_ Even a fusion of two witches could prove too much for magical girls unused to fighting witches.

Saito raised his hand, "Do I get a say in this?" He understood all too well his limitations and just how much stronger Louise and the others were compared to him. If he could help-

Tiffania latched onto the boy from behind. "No." She answered his question. "You are not allowed to do that again." Saito was slightly surprised at the direct command from Tiffania. "We agreed that no one sacrifices themselves. Even if it is slow, that's what the runes are doing, right?" Her voice softened. "When you fell… I almost couldn't handle it. I thought you had died." A wet feeling dripped onto Saito's neck and he realized why Tiffania hid her face behind him. "Promise me you won't do it again." The words were whispered, but to Saito, they were louder than a hurricane.

Placing his hand on Tiffania's own, Saito nodded. "I promise."

Smiling, Louise spoke to lighten the mood. "Good, because that was the plan regardless, right Montmorency?" Turning to her friend, Louise found both approval and relief in Montmorency's eyes.

Glad that Louise was sticking to her rule, Montmorency repeated the creed. "A path where everyone survives."

Looking to Saito, Montmorency noticed his empty bowl and once again felt her healer instincts activate. "Speaking of surviving; you need some sleep." Saito and Tiffania looked up to Montmorency, yet their drama filled moment did little to affect the blonde magical girl. "No buts. You can have your lovey dovey time tomorrow." Those with the will to argue with Montmorency happened to also be the ones with the sense not to, so as dinner was wrapped up, people began to quiet down and turn in. Now that Saito's welfare was not in question, several were looking forward to a restful night's sleep.

In time, the group settled in for the night. Only one remained awake as the rest slept and recovered. Trotting out through the sole entrance to the hideout, Id scampered up a tree and looked out to the stars. All evidence supported that magical girls existed on this planet at one point in time, yet that required the existence of his race. An existence disproven with the lack of any network or signal. If there was another race of incubators, like there was another race of humans on this planet, their network would be detectable, even if not accessible. Yet, there was nothing.

Id thought, its tail swishing in the cold night air.

* * *

><p>Kirche stirred early. Though she usually preferred to sleep in, she had never quite gotten used to sleeping in the rough like Charlotte. Instinctively, she knew she wasn't getting back to sleep, so she might as well just rise.<p>

Sitting up, Kirche stretched and stifled a yawn. Looking around, she spied even Siesta still asleep. That didn't bode well for how early this was. In the far corner, she noticed Sylphid sleeping near Alistair. The stubborn manticore still hadn't forgiven the dragon, despite the young lizard's best efforts. Kirche's expression fell as she thought about familiars. Though she didn't regret her own familiar's courage, she still missed the salamander.

Turning her attention back to the others, Kirche was surprised to find another among the waking. Charlotte's mother sat with her daughter's head in her lap. One hand gently pet Charlotte's hair, lovingly confirming her daughter's presence. In silence, Kirche offered the woman a smile. "Queen Orleans…" She whispered to get her attention.

Turning her eyes on Kirche, the Queen returned the smile. "Please, call me Helene." Her whisper was soft, and Charlotte wasn't going to wake easily. Even as irreverent as Kirche tended to be, she still found it slightly disarming to speak to a queen on a first name basis. Still, she nodded in silence. "Thank you for taking care of my Charlotte." Helene's eyes fell once more to her daughter.

Kirche shrugged off the praise, "I just did what I could to support her…" Keeping her voice low, Kirche looked to Charlotte and smiled.

Helene looked to her daughter's friend and tried to read the girl. "Make sure to take care of yourself as well." The whispered words came to Helene out of a mother's natural worry.

As sincere as the words were, the redhead blushed and shrugged them off. "Of course." Though Charlotte didn't even stir to the two's whispered words, the sound of rustling drew Kirche's eyes behind her.

Rising from her bedroll, Montmorency sent a venomously annoyed look Kirche's way. Did the woman enjoy waking her with idle chat? Nevertheless, it was indeed time to rise. With a grumpy huff, Montmorency grabbed her bag and made for the exit. This lot went through her potions faster than she could make them, so she would use her time in a reagent filled forest to at least partially resupply. Pausing next to Kirche, Montmorency gave in to her grumpiness and met Kirche's apologetic smile with a stubborn frown. As Montmorency ascended the stairs to the forest, Kirche decided she was happy to no longer be the blonde's enemy. She was seriously scary with that hammer.

Kirche took the hint and remained silent for the rest of the morning. It wasn't long before Siesta rose and started cooking breakfast. The smell of which quickly roused the rest of the group. Within an hour, all but a heavily sleeping Saito were up and about. How the boy was still snoring through the idle morning conversation, Kirche had no idea. When Charlotte finally awoke, Kirche was treated to a rare blush as the girl realized her position. Rising in mild embarrassment, Charlotte looked to her mother and shyly returned the woman's smile. It was only a slight smile, but practice makes perfect.

By far, the most chipper morning person was Cattleya. "Charlotte." She spoke to the princess. The name still caused unease and hesitation in the blunette, but she cast aside the name of that doll when her mother finally recovered. Still, she made no move to correct Cattleya. "I was hoping you could teach Tiffania and me hexagon magic." The ridiculous query caused even Charlotte to show some surprise. "Well, we were planning on teaching each other our spells since Sheffield took the prayer book and I thought blending magic might help us guide each other!"

Charlotte opened her mouth slightly, and then stopped. Formulating the response to such a request took a second. When she had begun learning the magic, she was sworn to never teach a non-royal the technique to mixing triangle spells with another's. She turned to her mother for advice. Helene merely held up her hands, "I married into the royal family, dear." Charlotte frowned slightly as Helene washed her hands of the ordeal.

Looking to Kirche, the one other person Charlotte implicitly trusted, Charlotte found her answer. She had already taught Kirche, so breaking to oath twice was hardly a problem. "Very well." She quietly replied.

At Charlotte's acceptance, Cattleya introduced the girl to the dangers of her energy. "Right then!" Grabbing the blunette's hand she forcibly dragged the girl off to Tiffania. There were spells to be learned with no time to waste! Charlotte looked back to her trusted friend and mother for help only to find weak waves. Traitors…

Eleanor watched as her sister dragged a princess off like a new toy. If things ever returned to normal, Cattleya was going to need some strict etiquette training. Again. Shaking her head, Eleanor made her way over to her objective. "Siesta." She spoke to the maid, drawing the girl's attention from her task of cooking. Not bothering to wait for the maid's superfluous reply, Eleanor continued. "While nobles can accept favors in stride from one another, it behooves me to repay the debt the Valliere family owes to a commoner." She had already granted a reward to Saito for his part in Cattleya's rescue, but Siesta remained unpaid. While the maid was now Cattleya's familiar, she had begun the task as a simple maid applying for the position of Cattleya's handmaiden. "I would take this day to transmute you a weapon. As I surmise that a Gandalfr without a weapon is a sorry sight, indeed. However, I know not what you would prefer, and I am assured a Gandalfr can wield any weapon, so I seek your preference." Eleanor delivered the offer of a gift like one would command surrender.

The Valliere's intense presence caused Siesta to hesitate. Her initial instinct to humbly decline was squished by Eleanor's deadly glare. The crackling of the morning fire threatened to burn her food, yet Siesta dare not break away from Eleanor. "Well, I could always use a new knife." Her current cooking knife was wearing out after all.

In her own world, Eleanor nodded and walked off. "Obviously she would be most comfortable what she has used before." She began mumbling to herself different ideas. Siesta merely smiled after the intense woman. Mildly, Siesta wondered if the Valliere sisters' parents were as odd as their daughters were. Eleanor was so intense and strict with everything she did, Cattleya was twice as intense but far more informal than anyone Siesta had ever met, and Louise… Well, Louise was odd in her own way. Siesta's eyes found the girl in question and her summation was proven. Louise sat with her back to a wall with her eyes closed and a look of deep meditation on her face. As well as her familiar sitting atop her head motionless, the two made for a rather eccentric sight. Siesta decided to keep her observations to herself.

Deep in concentration, Louise's eyebrow twitched when Id dug its claws into her scalp ever so slightly. Not enough to be painful, but noticeable. Its words didn't help the matter. "_How annoying was that?_" It asked while carefully monitoring their empathic link.

Gnawing on her lip, Louise responded in thought, "_About a seven. How much long-_"

Her question was cut off by the familiar, "_And how annoying is interrupting you?_" Louise had to have imagined the chipper tone Id spoke with, she was sure.

Teeth locked, Louise replied, "_An eight._ _Are we done?_" Id pulled its claws back and Louise let out a breath. Normally she would not have agreed to an experiment in annoyance, but Id had actually used the word 'please' when it asked. That had been enough for Louise to agree out of sheer curiosity.

Still perched atop Louise's head, Id spoke, "_An eight seems to be about my level. I am annoyed._" The last statement was as much a revelation to Id as Louise. Id had used the experiment to confirm the hypothesis, but the idea still required further contemplation.

Louise took a breath; her head rising as she did. Id remained in spite of the movement. _"Okay, I'll bite. Why are you annoyed?"_ Though she was unsure if the familiar realized it, Id wanted to be asked.

When Id swished its tail, Louise felt the weight atop her shift slightly. _"The construct's corrupted data bothers me. If it was built properly then no doubt many of our questions would be answered and the best course of action would be easier to determine." _

Louise cracked an eye open and looked up to Id. Though she could barely see the familiar, she could tell it showed no outward signs of frustration save its swishing tail. Still, that subject raised a curiosity of Louise's, "_You said that you had no trouble recalling memories from twelve thousand years ago. Is that an exaggeration or…_" Louise trailed off.

Id knew enough to know it was being prompted. "_Twelve thousand years ago my earliest consciousness was exchanging data with a server while in transit. It was an update on the integrity of an automated mining drone's engine. Everything was preforming optimally._" Both of Louise's eyes were looking up now, and Id leaned over to look back.

Quirking an eyebrow, Louise asked, _"I'll buy that you could be ageless, but you said yourself you can be killed. Are you telling me no one has killed you in twelve thousand years?"_ That was unbelievable, especially with how tempting the prospect had been at times.

Ever the efficient one, Id responded and conducted research at the same time, _"Your deduction is inaccurate. Of course this body will age and expire. I would simply be transferred to a new platform."_ There was barely a response in their connection. No doubt Louise's confusion was suppressing her emotional response. _"I will explain. I am not this body. I am the consciousnesses that inhabit it. As long as a sufficient amount of physical matter is left, another unit can reclaim me. Naturally, the oldest consciousness takes control of the current platform and the others process data. It is only efficient that the consciousness with the largest accumulated data sets make the decisions."_ Id generalized the explanation a little so that Louise's less than optimal intelligence could process it, but not as much as it would have for another human. Louise had shown some aptitude for data processing after all.

Furrowing her brow, Louise tried to make sense of what Id had said. _"So, you have multiple you's inside you? Like an anthill?"_ She understood that people sometime referred to worker ants as drones and Id had mentioned drones earlier.

Explaining things to humans was definitely a six on the annoyance scale, Id decided. _"If all the ants are an entity unto themselves and all one entity, and your analogy relates the anthill to this body, then yes."_ Actually, that explanation was far from perfect, but Id supposed that was the best it was going to get.

Louise seemed proud of herself for some reason_. "So whenever someone kills you, another you will show up and rescue your soul, er, souls. That's why you remember things from so long ago, because you keep being resurrected?"_ Louise smirked_, "I just found out something embarrassing."_ Id prepared the annoyance scale. Last time Louise got like this she assigned him an improper identification. _"You are an old codger."_ She said with a mocking smirk_ and sighed out, "It explains _so_ much."_ Id decided that Louise's improper comparison of it to an old man was a seven out of ten and cut off communication. To study the data of course, not out of spite.

After a short moment, Louise pondered, _"So what happens if you die here?"_ Louise pondered aloud.

Unable to deny the requested transfer of data, Id replied, _"Without another of my race to retrieve me, my consciousness will exist in the inert remains until they wear away over time. Then I will be deleted."_ The words were spoken with Id's normal tone, as if there was nothing special about them.

Louise was surprised once again by her familiar. According to it, Id was a functionally immortal being facing actual death. _"And you are okay with that? Aren't you afraid?" _Mentally she knew that Id probably didn't know much about fear, still learning emotions one by one after all, but it was still the best word for her question.

Rather than chastise Louise's improper analogies, Id simply replied, _"No."_

With a huff, Louise accepted the response. Pressing Id when given such a direct answer wouldn't yield more than some condescending talk in hopes of eliciting an emotional response. Id just didn't fear its death. Or rather, it couldn't comprehend the fear of death.

Before Louie could think further on the matter, Siesta began calling everyone over for breakfast. With a light hop, Id propelled itself to the floor and trotted over. Louise followed, thinking she understood her familiar just a little better.

As breakfast was served, the group kept in good spirits; chatting happily amongst themselves. The only ones missing were Montmorency, whom would likely be back only when her stomach demanded it, and Eleanor, who was busy drawing a magic circle off on one side of the hideout. Saito was doing better; walking around on his own power just fine. This, combined with Tiffania's own morning cheer, put a bounce to her step as she arrived to stand behind Eleanor, her nurturing instincts driving her to take an extra plate over to Eleanor. The elder woman ignored the half-elf in favor of finishing the rune in the ground. Pointing her wand, she moved the point and an invisible hand cut through the earth, shaping it how she liked. Still cheery, Tiffania cleared her throat. "Ehem." The noise drew Eleanor's attention.

Looking to the food, Eleanor took offered plate. "My thanks." She offered informally and returned to studying her circle. She hadn't created weaponry since she her days of supplementing her allowance back in the academy. The whole process was rather nostalgic.

Tiffania looked at the circle, "Would you like some help? I have read some of the books my sister keeps, so I know the basics." Taking a piece of her own food, Tiffania tried and utterly failed to recognize the advanced runes.

Quirking an eyebrow, Eleanor toyed with the idea of experimenting until she remembered how one of the base forms of Void magic exploded. Putting that magic into a circle with an amplification ring could be a very dangerous, very fatal mistake. "No…" Eleanor paled, "Just, no…" Maybe after Louise's journey was done, she could sequester the half-elf for some experimentation, but priorities must be managed for the time being.

Even with the rejection, Tiffania remained in a chipper mood, in stark contrast to the blonde girl walking down the stairs from the entrance. Montmorency, still grumpy from the morning, took one look at Tiffania and averted her course. She wasn't about to snap at anyone, but morning people were the bane of grumpy people everywhere. Tiffania wasn't the only one to notice Montmorency's arrival, however, for as soon as Louise spotted her friend she called out, "Montmorency, you're back! Everyone, if I could have a moment." Even as entrenched in her project as she was, Eleanor knew what was coming was important, so she put her work on hold and gathered with the others.

When she had the collected attention of the others, Louise took a breath and chose her words carefully, "Now that Saito is feeling better, I plan to leave tomorrow morning." Her steady tone impressed sobriety upon the others, "I will be heading for Romalia. The grief seeds the Pope has are our immediate concern and more than that, I think the Pope might be convinced to work with us. Montmorency and I overheard him talking about Gallia's Void mage being uncooperative, and now that we know more about that Void mage, I'd say it's safe to assume the two are enemies." Taking another breath, Louise looked to Montmorency and found comfort in the girl's nod. "Furthermore, the Pope has the Founder's journal, which we need to use the Prayerbook and could very well hold answers to several questions." Louise knew her logic was sound. Going after King Joseph with so little information and only one grief seed could very well prove fatal. Now for the hard part.

"Eleanor is returning to the Valliere estate with Alistair. Any of you are welcome to go with her. My family's resources can see you anywhere you need to go from there, or provide you with shelter." Though she doubted Charlotte or Kirche could be sheltered in the main house, her family's lands were vast indeed. "If you come with me, I want it to be with no regrets. The challenges we will face will be dire. The possibility of taking on both Romalia and Gallia is a distinct possibility. Let me know your decision by the end of the day, thank you." With a polite bow, Louise turned and left for the wagon. She needed to take inventory before they left, but that was really an excuse to immediately leave. This way, there could be no impulsive joining out of bravado. Now they would be forced to think the idea over. They dispersed soon after, each with a destination in mind.

* * *

><p>Charlotte walked with her mother, leading the woman outside for some fresh air. The single story of stairs to the outside left the woman taking breaths even with her daughter to support her. A scene that told Charlotte what she knew all too well. Her mother would have to go with Eleanor. Hand clenching, Charlotte felt the soul gem around her finger. Her mother would go with Eleanor, and she would go with Louise. Tears formed in Charlotte's eyes, only to be wiped away by the caring hand of her mother. Helene spoke serenely in spite of her momentary exhaustion. "I know it hurts." Her heart hurt as well. The queen knew what had to be done. If Charlotte didn't seek a cure for her current state, she would die. If Helene went with her, she would just be a burden. Bringing her daughter's head to her chest, Helene let her tears flow. No words needed to be spoken between mother and daughter. Even separated for so long, they still understood each other, and knew that they would be together for at least this day.<p>

* * *

><p>Saito and Tiffania found themselves outside as well, sitting against a great oak tree. They had seen just how dangerous the world was, and now they had a chance to go back home. Back to Westwood, back to the children. Yet, even knowing all that, even tasting the danger of the world, Tiffania knew she could not back down now. "Saito," She summoned her courage as she began, "I am going with Louise. I need to know how I fit into all this." She thought to her magic. The Void. Until she met with the Pope himself, she knew the church would keep searching for her and by proxy, Westwood Village. "I want you to-"<p>

Raising a hand, Saito cut her off. "If you are trying to get me to turn back, don't." Smirking, he continued, "I know I am weak. I know I will hardly be much use compared to the others, believe me, I do. But I won't leave you. I'm just stubborn like that." Glancing at Tiffania with the most confident smile he could muster, Saito stopped when he saw her shaking her head.

Though Saito's words warmed Tiffania's heart, he was wrong. "I wasn't asking you to leave." A look of confusion crossed Saito's face. "I am asking you to stay. I want you by my side." They were honest words of pure intention.

Though his cool moment was ruined, Saito didn't care. "Of course, my master." The blush of indignation on Tiffania was worth the following rant about not calling her master. She was cute when she blushed.

* * *

><p>Cattleya knew she would follow Louise, but she also understood that meant leaving Eleanor and her parents behind again; she wasn't so irresponsible as to make that decision instinctively. Instead, she made her way to where Eleanor had returned to crafting her enchanting circle. "Sister Eleanor." She announced herself.<p>

Already at a good stopping place, Eleanor turned to her sister and spoke. "You are here to tell me of your intention to go with Louise and ask me to convey your well wishes to mother and father." At Cattleya's look, Eleanor elaborated on her deduction, "You chased Louise across Halkeginia, the only reason you didn't immediately go to her and exclaim your intention to follow her was out of respect for my feelings." Patting off her dress of dirt, Eleanor looked Cattleya up and down. "You are far from the sick child you once were, Cattleya. Naïve as you may be, you are strong, brave, and determined. After spending time with Louise, I feel confident entrusting her to you and you to her. Just keep each other alive until I find a solution to our younger sister's mess." Even if her role wasn't flashy or heroic, Eleanor understood that she was far more useful to Louise at home studying than running around adventuring.

Eleanor was reminded of her sister's strength when Cattleya nearly crushed her in a hug. "I love you, Eleanor." Though Eleanor had said everything on Cattleya's mind, she had forgotten that one bit.

Arms closing around Cattleya, Eleanor returned the hug. "I love you as well, Cattleya." After a moment, the two broke apart. With a dismissive wave Eleanor turned back to her work. "Now I know I am not the last stop for you. Go and try to dissuade the servant." Tilting her head at the abrupt dismissal, Cattleya turned to leave.

Indeed, Cattleya did have another stop. She found Siesta washing the travel ware in a bin aboveground. Reaching for a plate, Cattleya hesitated when Siesta snatched it away and cleaned it. Again Cattleya reached for a plate, only for it to be snatched away as well. Siesta spoke, knowing Cattleya would continue unless chastised. "Miss Cattleya, I thought I was your handmaiden. Do you wish to dismiss me already?" With practiced precision, Siesta blazed through her chore, doing the work of five helpless nobles alone.

Unable to properly rebuttal, Cattleya hesitantly began her prepared speech. "If you return with Eleanor then I'm sure mother could find work for you." Siesta's past with Count Mott could be overlooked in light of the maid rescuing Cattleya from certain death.

Siesta stopped the elder woman with a look of pure conviction. "Then I would be a maid. But I am not just a maid. I am your familiar, so I will stay with my master. Before that, I am your handmaiden, so I will stay with my lady." A smile formed on Siesta's lips and her conviction was replaced with warmth, "Before that, I am your friend, and I will stay with you."

Struck speechless by her friend's sincerity, Cattleya had no words to reply with; though an onlooker did. One hand locked with Tiffania, Saito held out his other palm in a pleading gesture. "How come she gets to have a cool moment and I don't?! Seriously!" Here had been walking back with Tiffania and he gets totally upstaged by Siesta. The giggles of the three girls did little to soothe his ego.

* * *

><p>Back below ground, Kirche sat against the wheel of the wagon waiting. She knew Charlotte needed time with her mother, so she waited with Louise instead. The busy Valliere was going through their foodstuffs at the moment. "You know I'm coming along, right?" Kirche called out over her shoulder<p>

Louise offered only a portion of her attention. "I assumed. Most everyone is along for their own reasons; I simply want them to be sure of their decision." Her voice was slightly monotone due to most of her attention being on the shortage of fruits and veggies.

Across the hideout, Kirche watched Sylphid inch closer to Alistair, only for the manticore to give the dragon a begrudging look. Each time, the look had less venom in it. Silently Kirche cheered the dragon on.

Still bored, Kirche idly looked to her right where Montmorency leaned against the other wheel, her attention focused on the mortar and pestle before her. "What about you?" The Germanian asked, more out of boredom than actual curiosity.

Once again, Kirche was spared only a portion of attention. "I go with Louise. Someone has to keep her thinking with her head." Kirche briefly considered responding with an uncouth joke.

Sighing, Kirche complained aloud, harkening back to the days in the academy. "You two really are just sticks in the mud. Why did I have to be stuck with the musclehead and the flat-chest?"

Kirche smiled when two cries of, "Who are you calling musclehead/flat-chest?!" Were returned in unison to her.

That smile faltered when a high pitched, monotone laugh filled their heads. "_Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha. Very humorous._" Louise's head leaned out the wagon and she craned her necks with the others to look at where Id stood perched atop the wagon. Sensing the humans' absolute bafflement, Id decided to confirm. "_That was humor correct? You caused another mild psychological harm without ill intent. That noise is the customary response."_ Louise, having the most experience recovering from things like this, simply shook her head and went back to work. Let the other two deal with Id's emotional "experiments".

* * *

><p>Helene spent her day trying to be with her daughter as much as possible, listening to any of the tales of her daughter's tumultuous childhood that she could coax out. For Charlotte, it was a trying exercise, speaking so much went against her self-enforced stoicism. Long ago, she had decided to forgo words and focus on actions to protect herself. But now her mother was here, asking her all these questions. It was like being pulled in two separate directions. On the one hand she wanted to please her mother, but after years of holding her words and emotions back she instinctively resisted confiding in her mother.<p>

In stark contrast to Helene, the only other person headed home busied herself with work. It was a full day's labor, crafting a properly enchanted weapon, and she had exactly that, a single day. It had taken the previous two to properly saturate the earth she was using with her willpower. Rather than spend the time trivially easing her worries, she focused on creating something that would help protect the source of them. A proper weapon for the Gandalfr would do leagues more for her sisters than a pep talk from herself.

When the day drew to a close and the colors of dusk settled across the landscape, the group once more assembled. Only one other responded to Eleanor's call for those returning to safety with her. Helene thanked Eleanor with a proper bow, one that was returned even deeper by the etiquette conscious woman. Anything less would not do, the elder woman was a queen, after all.

Louise looked over to those that planned to continue the journey with her, then nodded. "Before we sleep tonight, I think it is important to reiterate Montmorency's pledge. In this group there is no sacrifice. We always look for the way out that leaves everyone alive, no matter how slim that chance is. We take the path where _everyone_ survives." The unanimous agreement both filled her with hope and steadied her resolve. She knew the pledge was a dangerously naïve one, but she also understood what it protected against. If Montmorency sacrificed herself for Louise, Louise was sure she would despair, possibly lose hope and transform. The same was true of the reverse. As Naïve as the pledge was, it protected them against what could easily be the worst outcome. With that in mind, Louise dismissed everyone for bed. They would need their sleep for the road ahead.

* * *

><p>Parting the next day was a slow and emotional affair. Even with a day to be together, Charlotte and Helene clutched each other tight in the morning air. Louise gave them the time they needed and turned her attention to Eleanor. The woman placed a cloth-wrapped bundle in Siesta's outstretched arms. "Keep my sisters safe." It was as much an order to the bundle as it was to Siesta. Eleanor had poured everything she had into crafting the exquisite weapon. It was the one physical piece of power she could protect her sisters with.<p>

Accepting the bundle, Siesta nodded. She didn't need Eleanor to tell her to protect her friends, but she would not trample on the elder woman's feelings. Unwrapping the cloth, Siesta paused. This was not a knife. "An axe?" She questioned, looking down on a steel battle axe as long as her own arm.

Adjusting her glasses, Eleanor informed the others of her genius. "You asked for a knife on instinct, thinking for something you can comfortably use. However, a knife simply is not a weapon of war, tis a sidearm at best. As a commoner, I assume you have cut wood before, so I created an alternate arm for you in line with your preferences." It was true she had cut wood many times before, but this battle axe was balanced completely differently. Not to mention the axe back home didn't have a point for thrusting or a hooked spike opposite the axe head. Gripping the weapon, Siesta felt its weight quickly diminish when her runes flared to life and the knowledge of how to use all three points of her weapon filled her mind.

"No doubt you'll notice that I've balanced the axe closer to the hilt, as is common with war-axes. In battle, the speed of a proper balance far outweighs the usefulness of a woodcutting axe's power, but that is where my ingenuity shines." Pointing to the hilt, Eleanor explained, "If you grip it with both hands and twist your grip like so, the weight will shift to the end of the axe head. Of course, that is in addition to the standard sharpening and hardening enchantments."

Siesta looked down on the weapon and then up to Eleanor. Rather than the self-satisfied smirk Siesta was expecting, she found a cold, calculating look evaluating her. It took a moment for Siesta to realize Eleanor's real intentions. More than a weapon that Siesta was familiar with, Eleanor had created this axe to test Siesta's resolve. A knife was something used in the kitchen. A sword had an air of nobility and symbolism about it. An axe was meant for cleaving flesh. By making Siesta an axe, Eleanor was forcing Siesta to choose to take a path of violence when she had a level head. Not in the middle of battle, and not with her emotions tumbling around Cattleya. No, Eleanor wanted Siesta to take up a weapon with a sound mind. Letting the cloth fall, Siesta returned the hard look with one of her own and tightened her grip on the axe. "Thank you for the axe. I promise it will not go to waste." She accepted the gift with a solemn voice.

Satisfied, Eleanor nodded, "Good, because any further help falls under your duty as a familiar. You shan't be receiving any more boons from me." Completely disregarding the tone she had used, Eleanor dismissed Siesta from her mind and moved to bid her sisters farewell.

The goodbyes went about how Eleanor expected. She tried to remain proper only for Cattleya to throw etiquette to the wind and attempt to hug the life out of her. Louise was far more reasonable, if only by comparison. The youngest Valliere held her sister for several moments before breaking away, "Take care, Sister Eleanor." Louise impressed.

Eleanor scoffed, "_I'll _be fine. You are the one we should both be worrying about. Just keep your head about you, Louise. You have a sharp mind, use it." For Eleanor to directly compliment her… Louise smiled as her eldest sister expressed her love in her own roundabout way. Taking a breath of the crisp morning air, Eleanor turned to Alistair and pointed to the ground.

Though the beast still looked ragged with several tufts of missing hair and the rest matted with dirt and mud from spending days underground recovering, its wounds were closed and Alistair was ready for travel. Kneeling low, Alistair let Eleanor pull herself atop his back. With a huffed breath, he showed his concern for the other Vallieres he would be leaving behind. The two tiny humans hugged him in affection. As odd as humans were, Alistair did not dislike the affection.

Helene cleared her throat politely. "I am ready." She spoke with reserved acceptance. A quickly cast levitation spell from Eleanor raised the queen into the air and placed her behind the other woman atop the manticore. Looking down, Helene gazed lovingly upon her daughter. "Come back to me, Charlotte." She pled.

Holding back her tears, Charlotte nodded. "I will." Things were different, now, her circumstances have changed. Now she had something – someone – to come home to. No matter what might happen, Charlotte swore to make it back to her mother.

Taking that as her cue, Eleanor nodded to her siblings and patted Alistair upon the head. "Take me home, Alistair." With a mighty flap, Alistair was in the air, soaring up and away from those below; leaving them to their own travels.

* * *

><p>The fastest way to Gallia would be to simply follow the roads. However, that carried an unacceptable risk of discovery with it as well. With Joseph no doubt aware of their escape from the elf, he would have made precautions. Instead, Louise and the others elected to travel through the forest. It would be a painfully slow journey, especially with the wagon, but it would be safe.<p>

Several times, it took a careful coaching from Charlotte to get Sylphid to help drag the wagon from mud. The poor horse pulling the wagon was, at the very least, a patient beast, it took the rough travel in stride, never locking down stubbornly. The few times the horse grew irate didn't last long as either Louise with her knowledge of horses or Cattleya with her love of animals could coax the mount onward. In comparison, Sylphid was far more difficult to manage.

Despite Montmorency's grumbled protests regarding his health, Saito walked alongside the wagon, every so often scouting ahead. If the stubborn healer didn't have him tied down to a bed, he doubted there was anything serious to worry about. Though not one hundred percent, he felt much better than the day before and he couldn't just keep sitting around. Besides, scouting was one of the few things he could do to contribute to the group.

Inside the wagon, Montmorency looked to where Tiffania and Cattleya practiced blending magic. Every once in a while, Cattleya would call Charlotte over with a few questions, and then leave the princess to tend to her dragon. Between managing a ground-locked Sylphid and helping Cattleya learn royal family secrets, Charlotte rarely got the time stew on her mother's absence. Mildly, Montmorency wondered if Cattleya was intentionally keeping Charlotte active to keep her mind off things.

Sitting at the front of the wagon, Louise and Kirche had the honor to guide the entourage through the dense forest. Back straight, Louise held the reins and guided the wagon forward, keeping a deep focus on the path ahead. In contrast, Kirche slouched over and idly studied Id. The familiar sat on the footrest between them. "So we are going to steal that silly hat from the Pope? This feels like a cheap heist novel." Pursing her lips, Kirche blew a puff of air to push aside the tuft of red hair that had fallen in front of her eye.

So as to let Louise keep her attention on the wagon's movement, Id replied, _"Correct. The hat itself had seven grief seeds set in it. With four of you, that will not be enough to live out your lives, even if you refrained from using magic and limited yourself to only moving your bodies when necessary. However, it will at least provide you with a significant reserve and alleviate the immediate lack of resources." _Louise noted the contradiction in Id's explanation from back at Westwood Village. No doubt it had bent the truth to 'elicit desired responses'. However, that didn't change the fact that this was still the best course of action so chastisement could wait. _"If this fails, we could take Bidashal up on his offer."_

Louise stole a glance at her familiar. "That's a last resort. Colluding with elves will only give the church _more_ reasons to outlaw us for life." Not to mention Bidashal had nearly succeeded in killing both her and Charlotte, so she understandably was hesitant to trust the elf. Turning her attention back to the forest, Louise spent the waning hours of the day focused on staying on course and decidedly _not_ thinking about homicidal elves.

* * *

><p>The woods were just beginning to fall into darkness when Saito once again found his way back to the wagon. "We are just under a mile from the forest's edge." Stretching his weary limbs, Saito peeked over to the inside of the wagon where Tiffania sat peacefully.<p>

Pulling back on the reins, Louise stopped the wagon under a great tree. "We'll stop here for the night, only a small fire; I don't want anything visible from above." Her orders given, Louise set about unhitching the horse and getting him some feed. The animal deserved more than merely an apple, but it was the best treat she had to offer.

With haste hampered by weariness, the rest set about making camp and organizing watch. With all the working hands, their camp was set up in no time and Saito sat down on his bedroll before the tiny fire. The others gathered around, sharing simple jerky and fruits. Siesta needed more than a tiny, sheltered light source for cooking. Map in hand, Louise sat across from the fire and worked out their position. It was a far easier task thanks to Saito's scouting keeping them on course. "Thank you, by the way, for scouting." Louise offhandedly remarked.

Saito shrugged. "Like I said, I'll contribute what I can. I may be weak, but I'm still useful, right?" He laughed off his own insult, trying to keep his tone joking.

However, Id saw through Saito, _"You call out your weakness as humor to hide your feelings of inadequacy," _The blunt statement drew Louise's eyes from the map. Even for Id, that was harsh. "_You are weak. Weaker than any of the females here that should be weaker than you by societal standards."_ Red eyes stared intently at Saito.

The anger that swelled within Saito puttered out in his own self-doubt. Still, indignation forced his lips to move, "I know, okay? I'm doing everything I can to get stronger so just shut the hell up." He knew he was weak, he hadn't hidden that fact.

Id shook its head, "_Not everything. You could become a magical girl_." The following confused, bewildered silence was so strong that the crackling of the fire died down in surprise.

Raising a finger to tick of his single and _very_ valid argument, Saito stated, "You know I'm a guy, right?" Had the Kero knock-off honestly missed that little tidbit?

Id's eyes did not waver. _"Of course, that is why your wish would have to change your gender."_ Taking the following silence as cue, Id continued, _"Your real objective would be a magical girl's magic, so the wish would be worth it. Those terms would be agreeable, yes?"_ The swish of Id's tail ruffling the air could be heard in the dead silence of the night.

The proposal was so outrageous, so completely logic defying that it stunned the weary travelers. Montmorency didn't even manage to recover and realize that Id was blatantly ignoring its promise. Saito was the only one whose mind was processing even slightly properly. He had decided to protect Tiffania no matter what…. But becoming a girl? Such an action removed certain… possibilities from his future. Sure, there were alternatives and the idea itself is… Saito blushed and pushed the thoughts from his mind.

As the sole human male in the group thought, Id turned to a stupefied Louise. "_I seem to have made an error._" Louise squinted in confusion. That was putting it lightly. "_Why is no one laughing?_ _I was certain that this joke fell within the customary humor framework."_ There was a beat of silence.

Then another.

The third was broken by Saito. "That… was a joke?" He asked in a weak voice.

Turning back to Saito, Id nodded. _"Of course. You have to be a girl to wish, so naturally you can't wish to be a girl. My joke both inflict mild psychological harm while pointing out a flaw of yours. Directly defying the laws of causality is just another layer in my joke prototype."_ Id opened its mouth to mimic a laugh. "_Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha. Very humorous._"

Saito saw red. "You little asshole!" Id's agility was more than enough to evade the boy's grasping hands as the earthling chased it around the camp. Montmorency broke first, her guffaw stifled by her hands. The first laugh broke the dam and soon enough the rest were tilting over in relieved laughter as Saito tumbled around after Id. Even the stoic Charlotte bit the inside of her lip to maintain her composure.

Dodging another grasp, Id surmised, _"Failed application of physical force is needed as well then Louise?"_ Though his question remained unanswered, Id was fairly sure its experiment was a success.

With cheer in their hearts, the girls giggled their unease away and soon enough night set in on the forest. Tomorrow they would make their way to Romalia, but tonight their hearts held cheer.

* * *

><p>AN: So I couldn't find Tabitha's mother's name anywhere. So I have named her Helene which is Tabitha's middle name. That's as close to a canon name as I can get.

Also, I got this out to my beta reader on the 11th, which technically meant I was done before a month passed. I count that as a win. This time I'll try to have the next chapter out even sooner.


	18. Chapter 18: Mirrored

A/N: So here it is, yet again. Guess what? Chapter 19 is already done ya'll! (Though I am still proofreading and then will send it off to the beta-reader) So you can't badger me about my slow updating.

As usual, big thanks out to my beta-reader. I cannot overstate how much he contributes to this story.

I would also like to give special thanks to mdkcde for his help. When I was (once again) stalling he contacted me to get me back into gear. Rather than nag or make a dumb joke, he flooded me with awesome art he found that reminded him of my characters. It was hugely inspiring and really got me back into writing regularly. He also helped with the lead-in on this chapter as I was having an extremely hard time with it and needed another opinion. He _also_ taught me how to finally get the formatting right on this forum. I'll update all my old chapters after 19 is done and up. Thanks again mdkcde!

Chapter 18: Mirrored

Though she had spent plenty of nights away from the comforts befitting of her status, Eleanor had never once been without a suitable place to lay. As an earth mage, transmuting dirt or rock into a soft consistency was child's play. Thus on the rare occasion she had to sleep outdoors she still enjoyed the comfort of a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, the bed she stared at now simply would not do. It was hardly more than a blanket over a wooden plank chained to the wall. Never in all her life had Eleanor been forced to deal with such a sorry excuse for a bed. Then again, Eleanor had never been a prisoner to a foreign power.

Eleanor wasn't one to shy away from the cold, hard facts, but that didn't make her happy to accept them. Her cell was barely large enough for the small bed and tiny wooden table, each firmly attached to opposite walls. The only thing that wasn't fastened down was the wooden chair tucked under the table. At least the cell had a door sealing her in rather than grated bars open to whatever soldier guarded her. Privacy seemed to be the one thing her status as a noble was affording her. She hardly expected to live in luxury given the situation, but still…

As she lay on her cot, Eleanor wondered if Louise had endured the same when she had been captured by that Fouquet of the Crumbling Dirt. Had she managed through worse? The thought of Louise outdoing her at even something like _being a prisoner_ frustrated the blonde captive to no end. Rolling off the plank that was her bed, Eleanor stood and worked out a kink in her back while grumbling. Again reaching down to the bed, Eleanor folded her blanket as many times as possible while still leaving it wide enough to cover the plank. Hopefully that would be enough to cushion the wooden frame.

Once more, Eleanor carefully lay upon the plank, trying not to mess up her improvised mattress. As miserable as the situation was, Eleanor took solace in the fact that she was still one step ahead of her captors. Though she was generally weak and useless in battle, she felt that her wit gave her an advantage against these people who thought they had her at their mercy. She smirked to herself, proud of her ingenuity while she lay upon her moderately uncomfortable bed.

After a beat, she sighed and let her thoughts wander as she once again tried to ignore another growing kink in her back. From the gentle swaying sensation she felt now and again, Eleanor was fairly sure she was aboard an airship; a large one from the lack of strong turbulence, or at least a well-crafted sloop. Thinking back to what led her here, Eleanor wracked her memory for clues to help her in this deplorable situation.

* * *

><p>******************Some Time Earlier********************************<p>

* * *

><p>The ride back to the Valliere estate had been going smoothly. Alistair knew how to fly without guidance so Eleanor insisted that Queen Helene sit at the fore. It would not do to have a Queen cling to her back; there was proper etiquette to follow after all. Though the Queen had initially protested, Eleanor was tactful enough to convince Helene without having to order her.<p>

If that had been the only problem Eleanor would have been happy. However, there was one far more pressing danger that drew a frown to her mouth and a pit to her stomach. She was sure of it; the griffon behind the duo was following them. What was more, the beast was definitely gaining on Alistair. "This could be a problem." She stated, keeping a level head about her as she informed her charge of the situation.

Helene glanced over her shoulder, trying to keep her head low to Alistair as the beast poured on the speed. "Can we outpace it?" She asked. Then when Eleanor shook her head, Helene pressed further, "Can we outfight it?" As weak as she was, Helene understood the power of the beast she straddled.

Clenching her teeth, Eleanor worried aloud, "If it is just a griffon then yes. Even if it has a rider of line class, Alistair would be more than match for it. However…" Eleanor began to dig through her box of artifacts. "I doubt a line class could grant a griffon such speed. I have a bad feeling." Withdrawing a small metal ball from her trunk, Eleanor poured magic inside and ignited the runes she had long ago created. Chanting, she levitated the ball from the palm of her hand and aimed her wand. "Metal bullet." She finished her spell and the ball raced away with a crack. The spell posed little threat, but her intent wasn't to attack. No, she simply needed to launch her artifact close enough to her opponent. Just as she had judged, the magic within her artifact activated as it passed the griffon. A flash of blue flared and covered the griffon in light, startling the magical beast, but not harming it.

Initially depressed, thinking Eleanor's plan had failed; Helene was surprised when Eleanor grinned. The blonde woman produced an identical runed metal ball and once again activated the magic within. Light sprung to life in her palm, showing a small blue image of a tiny griffon and its rider. "Tch…" Eleanor grimaced as she recognized the man aboard. "The traitorous Viscount Wardes." She knew the man, what he had done, and most importantly she knew what he was capable of.

Sensing a dire problem, Helene spoke, "A triangle class mage then?"

"Worse," Eleanor replied, "A square level wind mage." Her mind was already churning and formulating a plan. "Alistair cannot hope to outrun or outfight that man and his griffon. However," Clasping her trunk of artifacts to her chest, Eleanor pulled a leg over Alistair's side and sat with both legs dangling off one side of the beast. "He cannot catch two targets. Hold on tight to Alistair, he'll get you safely to my family's estate." Turning her attention to the beast she rode, Eleanor put all the authority she had into her voice. "You do not stop for me, Alistair. I am ordering you to take this woman back to your master." Though the manticore was stubborn, it had been ordered to obey her and would not betray his master's wishes.

Not as obedient, Helene grabbed hold of Eleanor's arm. "Do not do this. We should try to outrun him." She hated this weakness of hers. If she were in peak form, if she could use her magic, then perhaps they could stand together to drive off their pursuer.

Though the heroism was admirable, Eleanor removed Helene's hand all the same. "Thank you for your concern, but this is the best course of action." From within her pocket, Eleanor pulled out a fine glasses case and handed it to Queen Helene. "Give this to my mother." As soon as Helene took the case, Eleanor slipped from the mount and plummeted to the forest below. She held her trunk under one arm and held her glasses to her face with her wand hand. Chanting steadily, she released her levitation spell with ease, slowing her decent just as she reached the ground and landing with the softest of sounds.

In one smooth motion she spun to face the approaching griffon. Chanting, she fed her magic into the earth beneath her in preparation. If Wardes chose her she would need every advantage, and if her pursued Queen Helene then she would need ample ammunition to sling after him. She doubted that would be necessary however, if she was right than Wardes' target was herself.

It took just under a minute for Wardes to arrive, and when he did he met a smirking Eleanor. "I do love being right." She spoke aloud, knowing that each second she delayed was a victory for her. The vain words were just a side benefit. "You work for Gallia now then?" The griffon hovered in the air before Eleanor, safely above the earth below.

Tipping his hat to the woman below, Wardes spoke with his usual cordiality. "Indeed. I do wonder how long you've known." Wardes knew the sharp mind of the woman before him well. They had met on many occasions when he had visited Louise. It was that knowledge that cautioned him. Glancing about for a trap, he stalled and let Eleanor monologue.

Dropping her trunk to the ground, Eleanor placed a foot atop it and smirked, "I've had my suspicions. Louise told me of your involvement with the Reconquista. Then you disappeared when Gallia destroyed them. I wondered if you might have been an agent then. Mind you, at that point you were merely an interesting puzzle, something to pass the time." Giving the slight with a faint smile, Eleanor tensed in preparation. "Then am I right in assuming that I was your target to begin with?"

Wardes eyed the trunk warily, but nodded all the same. "Indeed, how _did_ you know?" It was difficult and slow, but slowly he began to prepare his spells without incantation. He was only skilled enough to lay the groundwork, but it was an edge he would happily use.

Filtering her own magic into the artifacts below her, Eleanor displayed her knowledge. "That woman in black made off with the Founder's Prayerbook, something I put quite a bit of work into. I supposed whoever wanted that might want me as well; it was why I made for my family as soon as I could. Sadly, I didn't expect to deal with a pursuer so familiar with these lands."

His magic charged, Wardes gave his terms, "Would you surrender then? You know I mean you no harm."

It was a rational proposal, Eleanor would admit that much. However, it was not one she could accept, "Though I disagree with my mother on many things, I still respect her. I would not dishonor her by surrendering without a fight on Valliere land. Besides, don't you think you are getting ahead of yourself? I am still Karin of the Heavy Wind's eldest daughter after all. Do you really think you can win?" It was somewhat difficult to look down on a man hovering above her, but it was a skill Eleanor was well practiced in.

Wardes did not survive this long by being reckless. He had never seen this girl fight whilst she had seen his own spars with her father. Her wit had always been sharp and her mind clever. She had enough advantages that gave her the edge here, even though he was a better fighter. Still, he didn't raise himself up to Viscount by being craven. "Indeed I do. I hoped it wouldn't come to this, but I will take you by force." Wardes' magic flared in unison with Eleanor's.

Kicking open her trunk, Eleanor spoke with bravado, "Engarde traitor, Eleanor the Artificer will be your opponent!" Tendrils of earth swarmed the box, ripping free artifacts too numerous to count. In the same instant several long tendrils of earth raced to grapple the griffon above.

Clenching his teeth, Wardes' eyes darted everywhere, knowing each artifact contained something unique and strange, possibly lethal. However, he was a veteran, and such novelties would not work against his tempered experience. "Scattered Air." He named the spell he had spent so much effort to weave. Multiple blades of air met the tendrils encroaching on his mount, shredding through the dirt like tissue paper. The ease with which he destroyed Eleanor's initial attack cautioned Wardes. Obviously, it was a feint designed to draw his spells while she finished her real attack.

Just as Wardes realized her intent, Eleanor's earthen tendrils loosed a volley of artifacts. Wardes didn't bother making out which object was what, all could have a hidden danger within. Channeling his own spell, Wardes continued to release Scattered Air to meet his opponent's attack. Magic within the artifacts flared out of existence when they were shredded by invisible blades of wind. Multicolored sparks, explosions and billows of smoke erupted in a scattering of misfiring spells. Yet still more artifacts were launched. Biting his lip in frustration, Wardes was forced to defend once again. While Eleanor cared nothing for his well-being, he had to retrieve her unharmed; that meant carefully testing her limits lest he strike her down accidentally.

Wardes felt his willpower drain maintaining the square class wind spell, but he kept at it. Unlike standard mage spells, he could not easily determine the strength of each attack. Each artifact was potentially more dangerous than the other. Still, that trunk wasn't large so he knew Eleanor would run out of ammunition before he even got close to running out of willpower. A last scattering of artifacts was launched and cut down, once again creating a cloud of smoke and sparks. For a moment Wardes' vision was obstructed. Fearing that his target would take to her heels, Wardes quickly conjured a gust of wind, blasting the smoke away and revealing a rather disappointed looking Eleanor standing in the same position.

The girl looked to her empty trunk and to the clearing littered with her experiments. "Barbarian." She muttered in annoyance before turning to face Wardes, his wand held level as he measured her. Even with a sword wand pointed at her, Eleanor felt no fear. She knew the man wasn't about to harm her. He considered himself too cultured to do anything so brutish if he wasn't under orders. Tossing her wand aside, she reached down and picked up a stuffed rabbit, the wool stuffing within drooped as she raised the destroyed toy. "I surrender." She spoke with mild resignation.

Cautious at the change of tone, Wardes conjured the woman's wand away and split it with a blade of air. Better safe than sorry. "That's it? I expected more." This was Karin of the Heavy Wind's eldest daughter and she hadn't managed to strike him once.

Eleanor smiled, even in defeat she had won. "I am no fighter. This," She held up the stuffed rabbit, "was enchanted to squeak when hugged. You destroyed it with a square level wind spell." Flicking the toy aside, Eleanor looked around at all her destroyed work. "Not one of these posed any danger you know. Those types of enchantments are too dull, time-consuming, and common for me to bother with." Honestly, Eleanor only bothered with weaponry when she had to. "That earth spell I used to throw all these trinkets is my strongest spell. In truth, I never stood a chance against you." Walking forward, she held out her hands to be bound. "I simply needed to stall you long enough for Alistair to escape. At his current speed and what I estimate to be your stop speed, if you pursue him now you'll end up dangerously close to my mother." Though Queen Helene was merely a secondary objective, Wardes couldn't help but admire the apparently weak mage before him.

* * *

><p>Though her memory after she was fed a sleeping draft was blurry, Eleanor gave herself a satisfied smirk. Captured she may be, but she had accomplished plenty. Wardes would do much to keep her out of harm's way. Queen Helene would tell Karin what happened and if Eleanor wound up dead or maimed, Wardes knew the Heavy Wind would find him.<p>

Still, her memories shed very little light on exactly why Gallia wanted her. She had already decrypted the Prayerbook, did they perhaps have some other ancient artifact they wanted her to decode? As if to answer her question, a slight rattle of the cell door drew Eleanor's attention. When the door swung open, , the exotic-looking woman who stood there could only be this Sheffield that Louise had described. Facial tattoos weren't exactly common in these parts, after all. The man who stood behind Sheffield was just as easy to place. With a blue head of hair, neatly trimmed beard, regal clothing, and a noticeable resemblance to Charlotte, the man was obviously King Joseph de Gallia. "Good evening." He spoke with a reserved charm. Carefully Eleanor sat up, measuring the man before her.

When Eleanor didn't reply, Joseph continued, "I assume you have already guessed who we are." His cordial toned lightened as he joked, "If you weren't smart enough to, I wouldn't have gone to such lengths to get you here in the first place." Shrugging he stepped through the doorway and pulled the chair out from under the table. Sitting down, he spoke plainly. "Honestly, I need a few things from you, and we both know that I can get them with a mix of torture and magic." He rolled his hand, stating the travesties as a matter of fact. "But I have heard that you are a rational individual. I respect that." He pointed to Eleanor and grinned. "So I'll tell you what. On average it takes half a day or so for a skilled torturer to drag information from a prisoner." Eleanor's eyes narrowed, it was still dawning on her how dangerous this man actually was. "So I'll ask you a question, you answer it honestly, and I wait half a day to ask another. We can skip the whole torture business. I get the information I want." He pointed to himself, and then gestured to Eleanor, "You get to remain unbroken. Sound good?" The honest, friendly smile on his face scared Eleanor more than she cared to admit.

Scared or not, Eleanor repressed her emotions and relied on logic. "That is a fair agreement." She held no illusions that her willpower was something from a fable. This was most likely Wardes' hand at work to keep her unmaimed anyway. She would have to play along. "How do you intend to trust me though? How can you be sure I won't lie?" Something was just… off about the man's smile.

Clasping his hands, Joseph stood up and turned to the woman beside him. "I'm glad you asked. You see, my Sheffield here is a master of magical artifacts. I think you two would really get along if you weren't mortal enemies." Without a word, the woman handed her master a strange wooden playing card painted with numerous stylistic spider webs. Handing the card to Eleanor, Joseph continued as she studied it. "Hold this and any lie you tell will cause the webs to stick. Simple, right?" Eleanor nodded, turning the card over in her hands. Joseph let her continue to ponder for half a moment before asking his question abruptly. "Your sister Louise, where is she heading next?"

Eyeing the card, Eleanor tensed. "I…" She spoke, not wanting to betray her sister. Her fingers gripped the wooden card tightly.

Patting the woman on the shoulder, Joseph explained, "Honestly, I actually think we might be on the same side here. We just kept ending up on the wrong ends of certain altercations, but I am no friend of Romalia, and neither is your sister." As Eleanor's eyes met his, she searched him, unsure. "It's okay." He nodded along, assuaging her fears.

"In that case…" Eleanor nervously began. "She is heading to Gallia's capital to gather information on you." Breathing out a shuddered breath, Eleanor let her hands drop in defeat. Then, looking up at the smiling man, she lifted the card to him.

Smiling, Joseph patted the woman's shoulder again. "No sticking? Excellent. Now I won't ask you another question for half a day. Much easier this way, yes?" Straightening up, Joseph turned and left.

As she closed the door behind her and once more locking it shut, Sheffield turned to her master to find him holding the artifact out to her. Without a word she took the spider web card and felt her runes activate. "This card… Will stick to any liars." Perplexed, she asked her master. "How did she... I assure you master, they are near Romalia's Holy City."

Joseph nodded, "And I am sure you are correct. The woman managed to decrypt an artifact Brimir created with ancient void magic. Breaking and fixing this card is well within her abilities. Its why I chose it after all." When Joseph pointed to the card, Sheffield followed his finger to an interlocking pair of threads within a web. "That was where she gripped it."

Puzzled, Sheffield looked to the card. Then she saw it, twin indentations carved out by a fingernail, each a small line blending into the tapestry of a web. She focused on the card, sensing how one altered the card to fail, and the other repaired the damage. Sheffield remembered, Eleanor had gripped the card tightly; tight enough to press a sharp nail into the wood, altering the complex rune masquerading as a spider web. "Then…" She trailed off, both annoyed and surprised at being outdone in her specialty.

Joseph continued idly looking at the sealed cell. "It was to test if she would also repair her subversion. You see, the runes on your head give you an innate understanding of _what_ artifacts do and how to use them, but not _why_ they do what they do." Ticking off the seconds in his head, Joseph continued, "That woman understands the extent of your abilities and worked around them. Because of that I can now safely say that Charlotte and her friends are aware that I am a void mage and you are my familiar." Sheffield's heart fell at the bad news and simultaneously buoyed at her master's display of cleverness. "Beyond that, the game allowed me both to better understand her _and_ give her a false sense of victory. About now she'll be catching her breath and calming herself. She thinks she outsmarted us and based on what I've seen, is thinking a few vain thoughts. Intelligent people like to think of how intelligent they are." Unclipping his mantle, Joseph handed it to Sheffield and ordered her, "Wait here, I need to finish the interrogation."

* * *

><p>Eleanor was just lying back down. It had been quite a puzzle deciphering that giant rune so quickly and finding an acceptable weakness, but no one was better than her when it came to artifacts, void runes or no. Smirking, she finally felt her heart slow and she tried to relax. Yet just as she laid her head against the bed, her door slammed open. Startled upright, Eleanor watched as King Joseph closed it behind him and quickly stepped over to her. "It hasn't yet been half-" Eleanor's measured inquiry was silenced when Joseph's fist collided with her face.<p>

Driblets of blood danced before her eyes as she slumped back into the wall, arms flailing for purchase as her vision swam. Joseph's strong hand grabbed the woman's arm and pulled her to him, only for his free hand to crash into her stomach, doubling the stunned woman over. Panic, pain, and confusion set in on Eleanor's mind. She scrambled away, yet the cell was too small, there was nowhere to go. Again a hand grabbed her arm and yanked her towards his chest and again he punched her. Joseph's fist met Eleanor's jaw and as she stumbled backwards, her voice leaked out in fear.

That tiny shred of voiced fear stopped the onslaught for a moment; just long enough for Eleanor to crumple to her knees. One hand braced against the floor for balance and she held her free hand before her in a weak shield. Joseph towered above her and spoke in that same strangely friendly voice. "Want to know something interesting?" He rubbed his hands, assuaging the minor aches from his punches. "I feel no emotions." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Absolutely nothing. Honestly, I know I _should_ feel bad for striking a woman." He rolled his wrist as his explained, "Or if I were a cliché villain I would be getting some sort of perverse pleasure; but nope, nothing." He shrugged, "Interesting, right?" When Eleanor didn't respond, Joseph reached down and in a fury lifted the woman from the ground before slamming her into the wall. "**ANSWER ME WHEN I TALK TO YOU**!" Absolute fear gripped Eleanor's heart. Yet the fury that burned on the face before her disappeared in an instant. "Pretty believable right?" Eleanor hit the floor before she even realized that she had been dropped. "See, I am very, very good at faking. So when you lie to me, when you fake to me, I'll know." Placing a hand upon Eleanor's head, he rubbed her hair affectionately as one would a toddler. "So now we are going to practice. I already know your sister is heading to Romalia's capital, I just want you to say it too." Eleanor let out an unintelligible voice. "No, you need to speak louder. Otherwise, I'll just start hitting you again. Say 'My sister is heading to the Holy City.' Go on." He waited patiently with his shadow cast over Eleanor.

It was impossible to stay rational, to keep a calm mind. Still, though the man obviously knew where Louise was. It felt wrong, weak to admit it. Joseph's fist tightened. "My- My sister is heading to the Holy City." Eleanor whispered in defeat.

Clasping his hands, Joseph smiled. "Good job. Now, as per our deal, I won't ask you another question for half a day." Turning, Joseph left Eleanor behind. "Just remember," he spoke as he closed the cell door behind him. "Don't lie next time. Otherwise we might just have to think up a new deal."

When the door closed and Eleanor was once again alone she curled up in the bed, tried to ignore the taste of copper in her mouth, and cried.

* * *

><p>The morning sun softly illuminated the common room of the inn Kirche had rented out for her companions. It was a humble place less than an hour from the Holy City. The only boarders were themselves, and the old couple that ran it were sleeping in. Montmorency spoke up as she closed the door behind her, "The owners won't rise for a few hours. That sleeping draft will make sure the only ones to hear this will be us." In the center of the common room, the rest sat in an assortment of chairs around a group of tables pushed together. It wasn't the most regal looking meeting room, but it would do.<p>

Once Montmorency sat, Louise stood and spread out a map of the Holy City across the tables. "Now that everyone is here, I'll begin. For the past few days, Id has been following the Pope; learning his movements and those of his guards." Looking to the familiar sitting atop the table next to her, Louise nodded, "Please tell everyone what you've learned

Content that it had everyone's attention, Id explained its findings, _"As you know, I am capable of moving completely unseen. As such, I was able to monitor your Pope closely."_ It paused, waiting for some outburst. Yet when no human protested it stalking their holy figure, Id filed that knowledge for later. _"He is normally under heavy guard by a paladin squad, and he is always attended by a younger priest with blonde hair. Though the attendant has yet to display any magic, he is very athletic and carries a sword. He is possibly a bodyguard in addition to attendant."_ Walking forward, Id placed a paw upon the map. _"Every night, your Pope prays in this Cathedral with only the attendant to protect him. All paladins remain just outside the grounds presumably due to custom."_ Louise nodded, knowing the taboo of bringing weaponry into a cathedral. The fact that this attendant retained his sword was probably due to Louise and Montmorency's altercation with the Pope last time they were in the Holy City.

Smiling at Id, Cattleya spoke kindly, "Well done Mr. Id. Thank you for all your hard work." In response to the useless praise, Id's tail flicked.

Not as impressed, Montmorency leaned forward on the table and countered, "Don't be nice to it. It's probably another trap." Montmorency's stern eyes med Id's unblinking red and its tail flicked twice.

Though it hardly needed such praise from Cattleya, Id preferred neutral comments to negatives. "_If you cannot retain simple information such as 'I do not lie' then you should consider reformatting your defective memory._" For a moment, Id estimated there was a less than negligible chance Montmorency would attack it. At the very least a slight bit of data had been obtained on generating negative emotions.

Louise picked up where her familiar left off before things could devolve any further, "Moving on," She spoke sternly to diffuse Montmorency, "If we can get by the initial line of defense unnoticed, we should be able to confront the Pope without it turning into a battle." Taking a breath, Louise prepared for the hard part, "This is ostensibly a stealth mission, so we have to limit the number of people meeting the Pope." Those assembled shifted uneasily at the news.

Leaning back, Montmorency crossed her arms stubbornly. "I am going." Louise knew better than to try and change Montmorency's mind when she got like that. Not that it mattered; Louise wanted Montmorency at her back if fighting broke out.

Adjusting her glasses, Charlotte spoke with a measured tone, "I'll go." Meeting Louise's gaze, she explained. "Joseph is the Pope's enemy as well as mine." Louise nodded in agreement, if Charlotte could get the Pope to agree to an alliance everything else could fall into place easily.

The next volunteer was one that caused Louise to grimace. Raising her hand nervously, Tiffania spoke up, "I will go as well." Before Louise could speak out against the idea, Tiffania continued, her voice steeling as she did, "I came all this way to speak with the Pope. I need to learn how I fit into all this or my children will only be put in danger when I return." It was the entire reason Tiffania had begun this journey with them so Louise could not deny the request out of hand. In truth, Tiffania's request wasn't the problem; it was her guardian that Louise was worried about.

Saito's eyes didn't shy away when Louise turned to him. "I know you will have enough trouble protecting Tiffania if things go south, but I am going as well. Even if we are in a city rather than the woods, I am well suited to a stealth mission." Clenching his jaw, Saito prepared for an argument.

Instead of waste her energy, Louise pointed to the cathedral entrance on the map. "You'll wait here as a lookout, deal?" At Saito's reserved nod, Louise let a breath out. If a fight broke out, trying to protect Tiffania _and_ Saito would be troublesome. At the very least this would keep him out of the potential danger zone.

Still, that brought the party up to five. It was Kirche's turn to volunteer. "Of course I'll be going as well." She spoke in a cheerful, sing song voice that ignored the gravity of the mood.

Shaking her head, Louise denied the request, "No, you won't." Though Kirche's face stayed jovial, she narrowed her eyes dangerously.

Leaning in Kirche met Louise's gaze. "I am a 'magical girl' as well. I have a stake in this." Besides… Kirche's eyes wandered to Charlotte. She didn't like the idea of being separated from her friend.

As much as Louise would like another magical girl if the fighting broke out, five was already pushing the boundaries of a stealth mission. "The fact that you are a magical girl at all is still a secret. Even if we restore our bodies, the truth is we can't be sure that will save us from the church. You, on the other hand will be safe as long as they don't find out you became a 'lich' as well." As reasonable as the explanation was, Kirche didn't look to be backing down.

It was Charlotte who calmed the fiery redhead. Placing a hand on Kirche's shoulder she asked calmly, "Please look after Sylphid, she will follow me otherwise." Unable to deny the reasonable request, Kirche deflated and leaned back; pouting, but ultimately accepting the decision.

Turning to the remaining two, Louise spoke before Cattleya could protest as well, "I want you to remain behind as well, Cattleya. The Pope is after Void mages so having you out of his hands could be a powerful bartering chip depending on the way things go." Louise gave Cattleya a reason to remain behind that would help Louise rather than mention that no one knew Cattleya had assisted liches so she could still return to a normal life. Cattleya was too selfless to take that into consideration.

Still, as naïve as Cattleya often seemed, she had been to strategy meeting before during the war with the Reconquista, and she knew how to read a map and formulate a strategy. "As you wish, sister." The measured acceptance cautioned Louise. It was odd to hear anything reasonable from Cattleya. The elder Valliere pointed to a street crossing not too far from the Cathedral. "Then I will take Siesta, Kirche, and Sylphid here. This inn should be within range of Mr. Id's telepathy. We can act as a backup team if you need reinforcements." It was a level-headed, reasonable plan and Louise was more than a little surprised Cattleya had come up with it so quickly.

Nodding in acceptance, Louise agreed, "That is a good plan. If need be you can join us or cause a disturbance to draw the guards." Pulling out a map of the wider area, Louise pointed to a place she had marked out in the countryside. "Around here is a cave Montmorency and I found the last time we fled the city. If anyone ends up separated we all rendezvous here tomorrow night." Looking to her assembled compatriots, Louise asked, "Does everyone understand the plan then?" Though Kirche disliked it, even she nodded along with everyone. "Good, we leave tonight so be ready." With that, Louise dismissed everyone and began to pack up her supplies.

* * *

><p>Siesta, being Cattleya's familiar and handmaiden, didn't need convincing to stay with her mistress. However, she did offer Louise a worried look out of compassion when she next saw the Valliere. The girl looked stressed as she exited the inn nearly an hour after the meeting was over. It was obvious that Louise looked up to Cattleya, but was now forced to create a plan that put her elder sister and everyone else at risk.<p>

The crack of Cattleya's minor explosion startled Louise. Heart thumping, she looked to where her sister was apparently practicing her aim some large rocks in the distance. For a moment, Louise considered telling the girl to stop, but decided against it. The noise wasn't much louder than a musket and was hardly going to draw attention out here. They had chosen this inn specifically because it was on a lonely road out of the capital that hardly saw any traffic since the new roads had been completed. When a hand grasped hers, Louise looked down to where Siesta sat on the stoop, gesturing for Louise to join her. Not needing to be told twice, Louse ungracefully plopped herself down, letting the stress seep out of her. Siesta spoke softly, enjoying the cool air, "Thank you." When Louise turned to Siesta in question, the maid continued, "I know it is difficult leading everyone, so thank you for your hard work." It was only simple thanks she could offer, but Siesta knew from her life of service that it still meant something.

Indeed, Louise felt her heart buoyed, blushing she looked away, "Ah, well. It really is no problem. Someone has to do it, after all!" She knew she still had trouble dealing with praise, all that time being belittled at the academy made compliments foreign even now. Looking to Cattleya, Louise remembered the academy and wavered with uncertainty. "Those explosions are void magic." It was something she knew; had known for some time. Still, it wasn't something she let herself think on often.

Siesta looked with concern to Louise. Normally the girl was in charge and collected, but now… now she just looked tired. Though her concern slowed the process, Siesta was eventually able to work out just what Louise meant. "You mean you-" Siesta stopped herself before her words could do more harm.

Taking out her wand, Louise spun it in her fingers before gripping it and releasing a small flame. "Ironic isn't it? I used to dream of performing such cantrips when I was wielding the Void itself." Louise caught the fright in Siesta's eyes and gave a weak smile to assuage the girl's fears. "Don't worry. Knowing back then wouldn't have changed anything. I still would have made my wish even if I had known everything I do now." When Cattleya's explosion sounded again, both the girls jumped. Louise looked to the growing cloud of smoke, "I swear," she spoke with honest annoyance and forced joviality, "the Void does its best to bother me even now. Will I ever be truly rid of such a bothersome element?"

Siesta was tactful enough to allow Louise to drop the subject. Noticing that Cattleya seemed to be switching to sword forms, the maid helped the transition. "I fear the worst, Miss Louise." Siesta smiled, "but at the very least you needn't fear it now." As if to deny her words, another loud crack split the air. Startled, Siesta looked to where Cattleya continued her drills.

Louise was glad the startled one wasn't her this time and gestured to where Saito had taken up his pistol for some improvised target practice on a bale of some hay and an old rag. "Even the Void's familiars seek me out, Siesta. I do believe I am done for." Knowing the best way to ease her growing annoyance was to drop the matter, Louise changed topics. "At least the boy does his best for his master." Louise gestured to the sole male member of their group. Save maybe Id. But Id was more of an it… right? Louise noted that she should ask the familiar sometime.

Nodding, Siesta gracefully allowed the noble to steer the conversation. "Indeed. It is admirable. Tiffania is lucky to have such a fine young man's affection." The maid smiled knowingly.

Louise giggled, "Aha, so it isn't just me who noticed?" As obvious as the boy's affections were, it was still entertaining to poke fun at him.

It was Siesta's turn to giggle, "I doubt anyone has failed to notice, save maybe Sylphid." She gestured to where the dragon lay basking in the sun. "Though not being a human might be a slight handicap for her." Another pair of giggles sounded from the girls as the idle chat eased their worries.

Without so much as a sound, Id sat down next to Louise. "_Interesting, so your humor works even if the target is unaware of it?" _Id swished its tail when it noticed Louise suppressing another light laugh.

Before Id could continue, Louise clasped her hands. "Ah, Siesta, speaking of non-humans…" She looked to Siesta knowingly, then back to Id. "Id, this will be a good test of your emotional data." She used its words to garner interest and when she knew she had Id's full attention, she continued. "Saito over there," She gestured to the boy, "What is his relationship with Tiffania?"

Such a simple question cautioned Id. It knew Louise was clever for a human, thus a simple answer was decidedly not the correct one. Still, it _was _a good opportunity to test its data, so Id answered. "_Societally, they are master and familiar."_ It paused, measuring Louise before continuing, _"But at a base level the boy wishes to mate with her."_ When the girls broke into renewed giggles, Id's tail swished with renewed vigor.

The boy in question sneezed on the fumes from his latest shot and looked around. Was someone talking about him? Shaking his head, he dug into his pouch for another musket ball, yet found it empty. Sighing, he turned and walked over to Siesta and Louise. "Have you guys seen Tiffania? She had my pack and my spare shot is in it." He probably should have retrieved it at the start of his practice.

Siesta tilted her head while finally suppressing her laughter. "I haven't seen her since the meeting. Louise?" The maid turned to the pinkette.

Patting Id's head and offering an apology, Louise responded as well. "I saw her head back to her room. Perhaps she is there?"

No sooner had Louise spoken than the door of the inn opened, revealing Tiffania, consciously aware of the attention on her. The half-elf carefully adjusted her sunhat as she stepped out, knowing her ears could bring quite a bit of trouble if spotted, but that was forgotten when she spied her familiar and companion. "Saito!" She exclaimed, hurrying out to meet the boy.

Meeting Tiffania with a hug, Saito was bewildered but not displeased by the affection. "Tiffania, what's got you so happy?" He asked, letting her cheer infect him as well. Smiling cleverly, Tiffania produced a large pouch and handed it to the boy. "My shot." Saito stated as he found his spare musket balls within. "How did you know I was out?"

Tilting her head, Tiffania replied, "I didn't. No, I came to tell you I enchanted them!" _That_ drew Louise's full interest. Leaning over, she spied the bag with interest. Tiffania pressed the bag into Saito's arms. "Matilda taught me a bit about enchanting, and that it is easier to do on heavy metals. So I thought lead musket balls would work well." Looking into Saito's eyes, Tiffania bared her heart. "I know you feel like you are weak. I know because I am weak too. But together we can be strong! With my magic and your strength, we can overcome any obstacle!" Saito was at a loss for words, his grip slackened ever so slightly.

The moment was ruined when Louise's hands reached in to support the bag from spilling everywhere. Her forgotten stress was back in force as she nervously supported the bag. "Saito, please make sure your grip is certain." Slightly worried and more than slightly confused, Saito obeyed and tightened his grip. With a sigh, Louise withdrew her hands and asked, "Tiffania? Just how did you enchant these? What type of magic circle did you use?" Though it was slightly rude, Louise refused to take her eyes from the bag.

Tiffania smiled apologetically, "Oh, I am not that advanced. I just used a basic element infusion. " The words only worried Louise more as Tiffania explained. "Since the base form of Void magic is an explosion, shouldn't that mean these will explode when they hit?" That was what she was aiming for anyway.

Though Saito was immediately impressed with the idea of explosive rounds, Louise cautioned. "And what happens if he drops the bag?" It took a second for Saito to realize he was possibly holding a bag of volatile bombs and react accordingly.

It took a second longer for Tiffania to realize and start panicking. "Oh no! I… I guess I didn't think of that." She had just been trying to help…

As Tiffania's gaze fell, Saito was quick to interject. "Well, we won't know until we test them, right?" He held his arm up confidently, but carefully. Still, the action raised Tiffania's spirits.

Clicking her tongue in worry, Louise still agreed. "Very well, but we'll do this _carefully_."

It took half an hour of preparation before Louise was satisfied enough to begin the tests. In that time, the rest of the group ended up gathering, interested by the novel idea of Void imbued musket fire. The first test? Throwing a musket ball as far as possible. With Louise and Montmorency's healing at the ready, Saito looked at the single musket ball in his hand. "So, are you ready?" He asked his would-be healers once again.

Louise nodded, "We are. Don't worry; I still doubt anything will happen, though. Back in the academy, I tried enchanting lead on more than one occasion. It always ended with the lead exploding immediately or simply no result." Louise ignored the concerned look from Montmorency. Just as before, she forcibly stopped thinking on the subject and returned to the task before her.

Most likely, Tiffania's attempt had produced nothing, but Louise wouldn't dismiss the supposed enchantment out of hand. Tiffania's magic was different from Louise's. The half-elf's spells didn't default to explosions; Tiffania always produced nothing when she tried a non-void spell.

Still nervous, Saito threw caution to the wind and hurled the musket ball as far as he could. The tension everyone felt reached a climax as the tiny ball of metal landed in the distance… And absolutely nothing happened. In spite of nothing, Saito let out a breath of relief and confirmed that he was still in one piece.

The following experiments all had similar results. They tried everything from dropping rocks on the balls from Sylphid's back to having Kirche blast them with fire. In every instance absolutely nothing happened. At last, they tried the final test.

Still depressed at her failure, Tiffania watched as Saito tied his pistol to a barrel with a string around the trigger. Just as every experiment before, the gun fired a perfectly mundane shot at the target when Saito pulled the string. The lack of any magic whatsoever from the final test left everyone in silence.

The group began dispersing; realizing nothing exciting was going to happen. Patting Tiffania on the shoulder, Louise empathized with her. "Don't feel too bad. Back when I had Void magic, I never managed to get it to act properly, and at least nothing bad happened." When she got only a depressed smile in return, Louise knew to leave the cheering up to Saito.

The half elf sat on the ground and leaned against the picket fence surrounding Saito's testing area, hugging her knees to her chest. "I just wanted to help…" She mumbled. Just to lend a bit of strength since she was so useless.

Though the rest of their companions had left, Tiffania heard familiar footsteps approach her from behind. Not wanting to face Saito after failing him, Tiffania just tightened her grip on her knees. In silence, Saito sat down next to her and began toying with a string. Tiffania had expected words of encouragement or depressed empathy, but not silence. Slowly, her curiosity drew her eyes from her knees to the boy beside her. Saito was looping string through a tiny cloth pouch, making an odd looking necklace. "In my country," he began as soon as he sensed Tiffania's attention, "We have charms called Omamori. Temples make charms and put them in little bags. They provide protection and luck." He continued his work. He had originally acquired this bag to make an Omamori for Tiffania, but its use was needed sooner.

Tiffania looked on with interest. "I thought your country didn't have magic?" She questioned softly. She hadn't known Saito was a mage.

Saito snickered in response. "I don't think they actually work, but buying them for a loved one allowed them to carry your well wishes with them. I remember when I was very young my mother got pretty sick." He recalled the sad memory with a bittersweet smile as he finished weaving the twine through the bag. "My father and I walked up what felt to me like a thousand steps to reach the temple at the top of the mountain. I was so little, I didn't really understand, so I refused to get the charm for healing and instead bought my mother a financial luck charm, it was pink so I thought that was what she wanted." He smirked at his naiveté.

Tiffania tilted her head. How could a charm meant for financial luck be helpful?

"Still," Saito continued, "She loved it, and sure enough she was better within a few weeks. It wasn't magic that helped her; it was knowing I cared for her." Placing a musket ball within the pouch; he tightened the string and placed the makeshift charm around his neck. "Now, I'll carry your charm with me, always." Turning from his work to meet Tiffania's eyes, Saito smiled a true, honest smile filled with both weakness and strength. "Thank you, Tiffania. Knowing you care for me will protect me more than any magic could." Tears welled up within Tiffania's eyes. She couldn't contain the sadness and joy within. Slumping down, she pressed her face to Saito's chest and let her tears run.

In silence, the weak pair held each other and found strength in each other.

* * *

><p>When night finally fell on the holy city, five shadows hid in an alley. One figure crouched with a lens pressed to his eye. Silently, he observed the paladins in the distance. "<em>Right on schedule, the shift change is a happening.<em>" Under Louise's orders, he used Id's telepathy despite how strange it felt. Securing the artifact within his pouch, Saito turned to the others. "_If we have to get violent, the missing guards won't be discovered until the net shift change._" He looked to Louise, waiting for her orders.

Taking charge, Louise nodded, _"I just finished with Cattleya. The back-up team is ready. Sylphid is asking after you, Charlotte, but Kirche has her under control."_ Looking out of the alley, Louise counted the seconds until they made their move. _"Quick and quiet, if we are noticed use Montmorency's sleep draft if you can."_ Killing a paladin wasn't the best way to get the Pope on their side.

Turning to Id, Louise nodded. At her signal, the unseen familiar darted out, finding its way pair of border guards and passed to their right. With Louise and Tabitha up front and Montmorency bringing up the rear, the five moved as quickly and silently as they could.

On cue, Id climbed between a barely and a wall and pressed outward, toppling the wooden container. The action drew the guards' attention long enough for the group to get in range. "Mind Wipe." Tiffania whispered her spells range at the guards. The effects were instantaneous. A wave of cloudy thought fell over the two, shrouding their senses. Though they noticed the group of five passing them they soon forgot as the memory faded from existence.

The ten foot tall grated fence was an easy hop for the magical girls, even with Montmorency carrying Saito. The boy grumbled internally when he was set down on the other side, but followed along as professionally as he could. It was easy to carefully make their way through the cathedral gardens with id scouting for any guards. The Paladins rarely looked back into the cathedral, but they proceeded slow and steady regardless.

The first real problem came when they arrived at the cathedral entrance. _"It's locked."_ Montmorency hissed, glancing back to make sure she wasn't noticed. The back entrance was well guarded and the only other way in was through stained glass windows that were sure to make a ruckus. She saw no place for a key, yet the door didn't budge. _"Magically sealed." _She thought in a worried tone as she ducked back into the shadows with the others_. "I can break it down… but…"_ That would draw more attention than they could take.

Tiffania softly interrupted_, "Give me a moment."_ Under her breath, Tiffania recited a spell. This was the first time she had tried it away from practice, but it was needed now. "Dispel." Though she was still having trouble with Explosion, Tiffania had learned Dispel with far more ease. The void magic that flew unseen from her wand found the earth magic holding the doors shut and consumed it hungrily. When her work was done, Tiffania's heart was filled with strength. She was helpful, not a burden!

The door opened with ease and the five figures snuck inside, closing it all the way save for a small crack. As agreed, Saito waited with his eye to the door and peered through the tiny crack, ready to sound the warning if any paladin guards approached. Carefully, Louise pressed open the second set of doors that led from the entrance lobby to the church proper. It took less than a minute for Id to scurry through the cathedral and back to her. _"There is only your Pope and his attendant within."_ With Id's all clear, Louise swung the door wide.

Cloaks flowing back at their backs; Louise, Charlotte, and Montmorency walked forward with their weapons at the ready. Each set of eyes scanned for any danger Id might have missed, carefully forming a defensive triangle around Tiffania. The cathedral was tall and filled with ornate stonework and beautiful stained glass windows that sparkled in the faint candlelight. At the end, the pope knelt, praying at an altar of Brimir ascending to heaven.

The attendant spotted them immediately and stepped quickly between the Pope and the intruders. "Your grace." He hissed the warning and his hand found the sword at his side.

Yet just before the attendant could call out for guards, the Pope raised his hand. "Julio, stop. Don't force them to kill you." Indeed, Louise's staff hummed with energy. She was fairly sure she could restrict her attack to a non-lethal strike, but she would rather avoid the attempt if necessary.

The four girls stopped several lengths from the Pope, waiting for him to rise and place a hand on Julio's shoulder. "If they meant to take my life, they wouldn't have shown themselves." With a grimace, the attendant removed his hand from his sword. The Pope met the eyes of the intruders. "Louise Valliere, Montmorency Montmorency." He stated their names, recognizing them from the last time they met. Carefully, he dipped his head in a bow deeper than a greeting. "I owe you both more than a mere apology can give. Still, I apologize for my rash actions during our previous encounter." Though the action confused and angered Montmorency, she held her tongue and let Louise take the lead.

Louise's eyes warily glanced between the attendant and the Pope, "Not that I am displeased that we don't have to force you to discuss things rationally rather than sic a Cardinal on us, but what brought this on?" If Louise was simply worried of traps before, now she was on full alert.

The Pope grimaced at the mention of the Cardinal. "Please forgive him as well. Tomas may have seemed a monster to you, but he sacrificed much in the defense of the helpless. If you battle monsters as long as he did, it is hard not to see them everywhere." A moment of silence passed.

Louise doubted the Pope was stalling, but she pressed on nevertheless. "Why did you order us killed?" It was the first question that needed answering, and would give her a good read on the Pope.

The Pope's mouth opened momentarily only for him to frown and close it. Yet before Louise could press more, he spoke, "Understand, I hold my tongue out of concern for you. Even if you believed me, certain revelations can be… self-fulfilling." The Pope's handsome face twisted with worry.

While Louise hesitated and thought over every possible angle, Montmorency quickly pierced to the heart of the matter. "You knew about witches." When the term brought only confusion to the Pope's expression, she elaborated. "The transformation."

Recognition filled the Pope's eyes. "Yes, I was aware. Ancient liches, demons, witches as you call them. They are the final form of spiritkin. So you already know." He paused solemnly, "Then my caution is needless." With resignation, he averted his gaze for a moment. "Back then, I had only a cursory understanding from my readings. The judgment I made then was wrong, but it was made with good intentions. The last time your kind surfaced, the world was nearly destroyed." He paused, knowing his words were cruel, but they needed to be said all the same.

Though Louise hated to admit it, the Pope's reasoning was solid. Cold, but not necessarily evil in intent. "So you assumed us to be the only spiritkin," She used the term in place of Id's label, "And aimed to save the world before it was in danger." She should be raging at the callousness of it, but Louise was carefully suppressing her emotions.

The Pope nodded with measured caution, "Indeed. I did not know then that Void Stones were grief seeds, or that they could stave off the transformation. Had I known then, I would have gladly given any I could to you." Pulling an old, leather-bound book from his robes, the Pope opened it and showed the contents to Louise. Though at this distance she could not read, Louise realized it did not matter. She recognized the letters as the ancient tongue from Brimir's time. "Most of my knowledge came from this journal, it was Brimir's." Though he paused to allow the holiness of the relic to dawn on those opposite him, he did not realize they paused because they had seen their goal rather than out of piety. "Sadly, the Founder had atrocious handwriting and the old tongue is already difficult enough to translate. I had only deciphered bits and pieces during my scarce free time when I met you. I was so surprised, the Founder had always written that spiritkin were gone from the world, yet you appeared exactly as he described you. Well, besides being human." When Louise showed no surprise, the Pope noted that she was aware that spiritkin were originally elves.

Louise knew the Pope was measuring her, and decided to change tactics. "Tiffania, I won't delay you any longer, go ahead and ask." Staff still at the ready, Louise waited as Tiffania stepped forward.

With shaky hands and an equally shaky voice, Tiffania reached up and pulled the hood from her head, revealing her ears to the Pope. "My name is Tiffania Westwood." She spoke the words she had been mentally practicing. "I am a half-elf, and I am a void mage. I want to know why you are searching for me." It was difficult to remain calm. This man was the head of the religion that was the reason she had to fear being burned at the stake. Still, she held her composure.

If the Pope was surprised at the reveal, he didn't show it. "That question and Miss Valliere's share the same answer." It was Louise's turn to hide surprise. Though she had suspected void magic and her own to be related, she was not sure how closely her fate was tied to Tiffania's. "You see, the world is in danger." The Pope uttered the outlandish statement without batting an eye. "Currently magic gathers far underground. Windstones far below gather more and more magic. Eventually they will break free and rise up into the sky, carrying our lands with them. In the end, the land will be torn asunder, most will die in the initial cataclysm, and the rest will die battling over what little resources are left." The Pope paused; even now the idea haunted him. "Back when I first saw Miss Valliere and Miss Montmorency, I believed this to be a natural phenomenon; an event that could only be averted if I were to gather the four void mages." Locking eyes with Tiffania, the Pope continued, "Yet after I encountered your friends I was faced with two crises. I turned to more dangerous research methods and found that the two crises were in fact one and the same." Knowing he was confusing his audience, the pope gestured to Julio, who withdrew a satchel from his side and produced an ornate, circular mirror.

Charlotte eyed the mirror warily and readied her book. "Careful." She spoke. In her missions she had encountered many old artifacts, most of them dangerous. The fact that this mirror set her on edge was not a warning to be dismissed lightly.

Taking Charlottes warning in stride, Louise questioned, "I assume that is your more dangerous research method?" Louise could guess the name of the artifact, but she waited for the Pope to supply it.

Nodding, the Pope continued, "Indeed. It is the Founder's Round Mirror." Just as Louise suspected, it was another of Brimir's holy relics. "With it, I can delve into memories the Founder left behind. I took quite a few risks activating it the first time, but after our meeting, I knew they were necessary." Holding the mirror to face them, the Pope spoke again, "I would ask your permission to show you what I found. I fear it is not something you would believe me if I simply told you."

Louise considered the proposal. It could be a trap to waste time; however she still had a few tricks left. "_Saito, have you been listening?_" Pretending to be stewing over the idea, she conversed silently with her lookout.

From his position at the entrance, Saito replied, "_I can't hear much, but I got the gist of it. Everything's fine on this end._" He rested his hand on his pistol.

Confident in Saito's abilities, Louise gave her orders. "_If anything suspicious happens outside, and we don't respond, take the Pope hostage." _Directing her thoughts to the shadows where Id sat safely out of a possible line of fire, she ordered, "_Id, as soon as his magic activates, climb onto my shoulder. If I fall under a mental suggestion, use my soul gem to force my consciousness back."_ Louise needed no confirmation from Id. The familiar was already moving. "I accept your proposal." With her acceptance, the Pope began chanting and the room was enveloped in light.

* * *

><p>Louise squinted through the now-fading bright light. The Pope and his attendant Julio still stood before her. Tiffania, Montmorency and Charlotte also stood with her, but the world had changed around them. No longer did they stand in a grand cathedral, but a dense forest with odd, exotic plants. Vines twisted through the trees and exotic flowers bloomed all about.<p>

With a suppressed gasp, Louise realized her body shimmered with an ethereal light. Like she wasn't quite part of the world around her but a piece of another pasted within. An illusion then, she realized. The Pope's voice still echoed as it had in the cathedral, confirming Louise's suspicions. "These are the Founder's recreated memories from the time when he first met spiritkin." Gesturing to his side, a young boy, perhaps a year or two younger than Louise knelt next to a log, looking beyond it.

The boy had short blonde hair clad in a worn travel cloak. He was as normal looking as they came in Louise's opinion. Save maybe for the staff laid next to him. A mage then? Or perhaps it was simply a walking staff. Still, Louise noted the boy did not shimmer like herself and the others, so he was a part of this world.

Louise followed the boy's gaze to a spring where she was surprised to see a woman her age undressing. Immediately blushing, Louise suppressed the urge to chastise the illusion. Looking back to the woman, Louise noticed what she had initially missed. Out from under her short red hair protruded two long and pointed ears. She was an elf.

The woman stood in her underwear, her pants already off and moved on to removing her shirt. In response the young boy spun around and sat nervously with his back to the log he hid behind. "Okay Brimir. You finally found an elf, now what?" Though she should have guessed it, the revelations to the boy's identity surprised her. The founder was before her in the form of an unassuming young boy. "Go out there now and she will get the wrong idea. I wait and things could get even worse… Think… Think, Brimir!" Louise honestly was stupefied.

A new, decidedly feminine voice called out from the water's edge. "Hello?" The elf called out in question.

Like an idiot, Brimir rose in response while rubbing the back of his head. "Hi, I…" He trailed of, realizing the elf was now down to her skivvies. There was a beat of realization. The elf hadn't noticed him and hadn't actually expected an answer. "I know this looks bad but please don't run away."

The Founder's worries were unfounded, as the elf didn't run away. No, he was introduced to a whole new set of worries when a short sword came spinning after his neck. The high shriek of the girl elf sounded and was matched only by the Founder's own shriek as he dodged. The elf charged him, her sword returning to her hand and flying once again toward Brimir as he beat a hasty retreat. "Pervert! Molester!" The girl cried out, carrying her clothing in one hand and using the other to launch attacks at the fleeing boy.

Rather than having to follow the boy herself, Louise watched in wonder as the world around her moved _with_ the Founder as he fled, dodging yet another strike at his legs and calling out, "Please stop!" Hopping up, he cleared another attempt to cleave his foot. "Honestly, I really just need to talk!" In her fear and anger, the elf failed to see reason.

As the two ran, the forest twisted and warped, slowly changing into a twisted version of itself. Vines turned to chains, the dirt below became metallic sand, and the world shifted to something else entirely. Slowing to a stop, Brimir's staff flicked up to knock away the incoming shortsword before turning to watch it fly back to the girl's hand. "Did you do this?" He gestured to the world around them.

Gone was the forest and in its place a massive desert of metal rolled to each horizon. Dark chains hung from a silver sky, disappearing into nothingness. Still wary of the boy, the elf replied, "No… this is a Labyrinth." Readying her sword, the elf dropped her clothing. She could not drop her guard in favor of modesty. Not here of all places.

Glancing from the combat-ready elf to the empty surroundings, Brimir questioned her fear. "It is weird and all, but are we really in that much danger?" As if to answer his question a chain sprang to life and hissed at him with a mouth made of metal in a poor imitation of a snake. Like lightning it struck at his throat, only to be severed by a thrown shortsword.

The elf's blade was back in her hand in mere seconds. "Ready yourself or I may not be able to save you next time." Brimir rubbed his undamaged neck and readied his staff. Now his fearful eyes looked to the hundreds of chains in view, each hanging from seemingly nothing, and each and every one a possible enemy. "We do not need to win." The elf cautioned, "Help will be here soon."

A breeze blew by, stirring the air and rattling the chains. Grimacing at the sight of the stirring chains, the elf let her sword fly, arcing through chain after chain as they woke; cutting them down before they could strike. Yet it was not enough. Several were upon her immediately. She held out her hand, but her sword was simply too far. Chain snakes bit into her limbs, transforming into shackles. Pain lanced through her as each limb was immediately pulled in another direction. Yet before she could be torn asunder by the ghostly chains, the voice of that pervert she saved earlier resounded, "Dispel!" An invisible wave of power extended from Brimir's outstretched staff, with each chain it passed through falling limply to the sand. It took only a moment of freedom for the elf to clasp her sword and cut herself free. Reaching down to the elf, Brimir offered a hand, "Are you alright?" Still uneasy with the pervert, the elf ignored his offered hand and stood under her own power.

Dusting herself off, the elf replied, "Fine. That wasn't elven magic." She looked to his head and noticed his lack of proper ears. "You are a long way from home, human." He shrugged at the hard comment.

The dispelled chains began to stir, drawing a dissatisfied hiss from Brimir. "Aren't we both?" He spoke with forced joviality.

Letting her blade fly, the elf replied, "Actually, I am more familiar with Labyrinths than you assume." Again Brimir let out a dispel wave, quelling the chains around them long enough for the elf to cut several more down. "Can you keep that up for long?" They need only wait a little longer.

Taking a breath to replenish his strength, Brimir replied, "No, if I keep casting in quick succession like this, I'll tire out. My magic works better if I have a long cast time for better results. Think you can hold them off for a minute or two?" Again he returned to casting a hastened but weakened version of Dispel.

A swarm of chains darted in, but fell limp when the strange human's magic was released. The elf's sword flew, and yet more chains were cut down. "What am I, your shield?" her sword lanced out, catching a few chains darting in to stop the pervert's lengthy chant.

As soon as her sword staved off the snakes, the pervert stopped his mantra, noticing that the chains were retreating, pilling up into the sky. "Oh, well that worked out." He spoke, his annoying cheer once again returning.

"Start your chant." The elf commanded harshly. When all she received was a confused look of bewilderment, she commanded again. "Start your chant!"

Ushered on by the elf's evident fear, Brimir let words of power fly from his lips, forming a full spell for the first time this battle. It took everything he had to continue the spell when the sand below erupted forth in a great cataclysm. A monster dwarfing even the largest Earth Dragon broke free of the sand, covered in twisting black bark and baring a wide circular mouth with teeth that swallowed and churned the metal sand. Like a great drain it pulled more and more sand into itself, stealing the ground from beneath their feet. Brimir realized its intention too late, his feet were pulled from under him as the creature of teeth devoured more and more sand. The grinding of its monstrous teeth on sand sounded like a strange high pitched echo of the laughter of children run through by metal fiddles. The otherworldly sound hammered disturbing illusions of fear into his mind. On instinct, he continued his magic. He needed to finish this! Beside him, he saw the elf scrambling to get up, yet with no proper ground to brace against, she just tumbled repeatedly.

Turning his eyes back to the beast, Brimir knew he could not finish his spell in time, but even half-finished, the power might buy some time. Though standing on the shifting sands was impossible, he managed to get his feet under him. With one mighty push, he launched himself forward. Even if he couldn't take the monster out, he could stop it long enough for the girl to escape. As he bore down on the bed of teeth, he got a good look deep inside of its maw. In its depths, a smiling face without eyes swallowed everything that the teeth brought forth. Brimir instinctively knew that was his target. At this range, it was sure to kill him as well, but if he could save that girl… With dire conviction, he loosed his spell, "**EXPLO**-"

His spell fizzled when an arrow the size of a log impacted his chest, piercing him and driving him up and away. His staff tumbled from his grasp and he stared the arrow in muted bewilderment. Why didn't it hurt? A new, sickeningly sweet voice called out alongside him. "Rescue bolt, success!" Turning, he stared at the elf child standing on a similar log sized arrow midflight.

Sand pillowed into the air when the two landed. Both Brimir and the arrow riding elf tumbled through the sand, ending with a thoroughly confused Brimir looking at a pair of legs protruding from the sand. Another new face joined them when another childlike elf, this one older than the log-flying one, joined them, "You still need to work on that landing." When the new elf pulled the little one from the sand by her leg, Brimir finally got a good look at the two.

Though they both had silvery hair, the elder's was significantly longer. The fact that they were elves seemed a footnote compared to the ornate clothing they wore. Hardly the stuff one would wear to a forest, or to battle for that matter. Looking down, Brimir confirmed that, yes, he was still run though by some sort of log. "Hello, why am I not dead?" He asked with cheer. He wouldn't exactly say the prospect of living saddened him, but he was confused all the same. "An arrow like this-"

In childish indignation the younger of the elves shouted at him. "_Bolt_! It's a _rescue bolt_, not an arrow!" Smiling, she grabbed the bolt and pulled. Magic shimmered as the object left Brimir, leaving behind an unscathed chest. "And it didn't hurt you because I didn't want it to." Brimir lifted an eyebrow, what kind of explanation was that?

The elder sighed and tapped the younger on the head. "Enough with that. If we don't hurry, Yelma will finish without us. Just wait here, human." Before Brimir could interrupt, twin lights of green and blue blinded him. Summoned by unknown magic, the elder held a great axe and the younger what could only be described as a ballista rather than a crossbow. "Now, let's g-" Her words were cut off when a sword dwarfing even the teeth monster appeared behind them. Flames running along its edge, it crushed down on the monster, bisecting it in one swipe.

Brimir was at a loss for words. A state that only worsened when the world faded away, dumping him back in the forest he left. Only now he was with the elf that had been chasing him, and another, younger redhead about the age of the elder silver haired elf. The new redhead looked to him with fury. "You!" The new elf accused, stomping toward him.

In an instant, the new redhead grabbed Brimir's collar and pulled his face close. "What do you think you were doing to Sasha?!"

From behind his aggressor, Brimir's original target spoke. "Calm down, Yelma. He tried to save my life. We can at least give him a chance to explain himself." When Yelma unceremoniously dropped him, Brimir spied his savior, now fully clothed.

Finally finding his voice, Brimir put as much cheer as he could into it, "Well, I originally came to this forest seeking elves! I know elves and humans don't really interact…" Or get along in any peaceful manner, "But the fact is you elves have cities." Brimir was sure that was what they were called. "I want to know how you manage it. Every time humans gather, eventually they just all disappear. I know if we keep living as nomads we'll die out, so I came to ask for help." It wasn't quite the speech he had prepared, but it was good enough considering the circumstances.

When the four girls shifted uneasily, Brimir knew he wouldn't like the answer. Yelma answered, "It's because of the evil spirits." She shrugged. "That thing that just tried to eat you? Normal people can't see them, let alone fight them. Once they pull you into their labyrinth it's the end of the line for most people." She placed her hand to her chest, "Elves like us can become spiritkin and hunt them, but since you humans don't have any spiritkin, whenever you gather, you just become a bigger target." Stunned, Brimir once again found himself at a loss for words.

The revelation that humans, his species, were simply food for beings beyond his comprehension crushed in on Brimir. Tightening his fist he replied, "Let me come with you."

Yelma quirked an eyebrow. "That's it? I expected anger or begging. You know, we don't really go out of our way to protect you humans." The spiritkin that did generally waited for the evil spirits to feed enough to produce a grief seed.

Shaking his head, Brimir replied, "I'm sure you have your reasons, and I can't demand anything from the people who saved my life. So please just let me come with you. My magic wasn't completely ineffective. I'm sure if I work hard, I can develop a defense for my people." He could do it, he _had_ to do it.

* * *

><p>A paw pressed to Louise's soul gem resting in the crest of her mantle. Id forcibly wrenched her senses back to her. Startled, Louise glanced around, remembering where she was, who she was. "Are you alright?" The Pope asked, looking at her with worry. "You were getting lost in the memory. That is the danger I spoke of." He paused as Louise looked to her companions. They seemed fine, only sending glances of concern her way. Was she the only one who got lost in the memory? The Pope spoke again in warning, "Losing yourself a few times won't harm you, but lose yourself constantly and you'll start replacing your memory with the Holy Founder's."<p>

It took a moment for Louise to calm down. There didn't seem to be anything wrong, thankfully. "I'm fine." She spoke to her companions as much as the Pope.

Nodding, the Pope once again concentrated on the mirror. "I'll try to skip through to the end as best I can, please let me know if you feel yourself being lost."

With a flash, once more Louise found herself in an ethereal form, standing near a campfire. Around the crackling flame sat five distinct forms, Brimir and the four elves. Pointing at each of them, the future Founder recited their names. "So you are Yelma, and this is your elder sister Sasha." He gestured from the aggressive younger sister to the less aggressive but still quite dangerous elder sister he had inadvertently peeked on. Turning to the littlest, he said, "And you are Lilia and this is your elder sister Rilyn." With nods returned, he crossed his arms and committed the mismatched names to heart. "So you are all… spiritkin?" He tested the word.

Yelma smirked and replied, "Yup, except for Sasha, she's our mascot." Grabbing her elder sister around the shoulders, she smiled.

Sasha did not appreciate Yelma's cheer. "Not mascot. I am their liaison to the council of elders." With one hand she removed her sister's arm and tried to look proper. She was the eldest one here, so it was her duty to be dignified. Louise held her hand up and placed it in her vision to remind herself that she was just watching, not part of the scene before her.

Brimir turned to the other two for answers. "She's our mascot." Lilia raised her hand in a vote.

Even the more professional Rilyn nodded, "Mascot," further cementing the embarrassing label.

Sasha's outburst and the following teasing faded as the world twisted once more. Louise was vaguely aware that time was passing. The Pope's voice echoed as he explained. "The Founder traveled with them for a time." Scenes played out at the edge of Louise's mind. She saw the four travelling through the woods. "Brimir met the beings that granted the spiritkin their powers." She held her breath when she saw a scene of Brimir chatting excitedly with an animal closely resembling Id. There were subtle differences, however. The golden rings around its "ears" were blue, resembling water and the fur pattern was different. But she intuitively knew it was an Incubator. Louise felt the Pope's eyes on her and she realized what his game was. Staying neutral, she looked on with forced curiosity. She wasn't about to reveal anything she didn't have to.

Letting out a breath, the Pope continued to push through the memories. Images flitted by Louise's mind. Scenes of laughter, of joy. The five were celebrating some occasion in one instant, then laughing over the campfire the next. Brimir's eyes shone in wide-eyed wonder at the buildings and people during his first visit to an elven city. Memories of Yelma's anger when they were forced to escort Brimir out, and of Lilia's compassion for the disheartened Brimir.

Even still, the five pressed on. Brimir beamed, looking down on the runes he had placed on Sasha's hand and brow. The Pope's voice explained, "Brimir copied what he could of the spiritkins' instinctive knowledge of their weaponry to create the Gandalfr and Myozunitonirun runes; granting Sasha mastery over weaponry and magic artifacts so she could fight alongside her sister." Memories flashed forward to the two redheads darting through the attacks of evil spirits. Louise once again had to suppress her reaction when she recognized Derflinger in Sasha's hands.

As time went on, smiles became more and more scarce. Suddenly, Rilyn was nowhere to be seen. With the five now suddenly four, the Pope spoke, "They learned the truth about spiritkin and evil spirits." Yelma stood screaming at her sister while Sasha kept her eyes downcast in sorrow and shame. To the side Brimir stood, holding a crying Lilia to his chest.

Lilia's voice echoed on the edge of Louise's mind. "Why? You were supposed to stay with me. How could you become..." Tears fell as Brimir held the girl to him, silencing her cries as best he could.

Time passed further, and soon battles were fought with all four. Once again the Pope explained, "The Founder developed Void magic in leaps and bounds. Taking what inspiration he could from his companions." As the Pope's voice faded, Louise saw time march onward. Then the pit in her stomach grew when Yelma disappeared. "In the end, all of the Founder's power was not enough." Brimir's hard, cold eyes glared at the previously seen Incubator.

Once again time shifted, revealing a grisly scene. In an unknown desert, the Founder stood alone. Hundreds of corpses littered the sands, each the body of a young elven girl. Lilia's own body rested at Brimir's feet and he looked up to the monstrosity before him. A demon beyond comprehension floated high in the sky. It was a mass of teeming white, fluid and solid at the same time. White tendrils exited from the sphere to claim floating grief seeds and pull them within it. "They're all dead," The Founder stated; his defeated voice void of emotion. "All the evil spirits, all the incubators, all the spiritkin. All that's left is you." He looked up to the forming monstrosity before him. "And me." Though his will had left him, Brimir still pressed on. Chanting, the air filled with his power. Magic runes sprang to life, hovering around the great forming beast. Even in its immature state, the being reacted in defense. Tendrils shot out, impacting the forming magic. Yet Brimir's spell held firm. He would finish this, "_Eternal Seal_." At his command, runes too numerous to count converged his enemy. More and more magic poured in more and more runes covered the beast. Soon, all that could be seen was the shining of Brimir's magic.

In one final great flash, the beast vanished. Kneeling, Brimir pressed his hand to the sand below. "Starve down there for all eternity." With that final statement, the vision dispersed, leaving Louise back in the Cathedral she never left.

Silence reigned for some time as Louise processed what she had seen. So many answers, but were any of them trustworthy? She steadied herself and pushed it all aside to be sorted later. The Pope spoke once more with a grave tone. "That evil spirit was what you called a witch. It later became known as an ancient lich or the great demon, and is still down in the depths below Halkeginia." Passing his eyes between each of the girls, he impressed the direness of the situation. "Even now it exerts its magic, filling the wind stones beyond their limit. It is the reason the wind stones are gaining too much magic. It is the reason that Halkeginia will be torn asunder." Bowing his head, the Pope quieted his fervor and spoke calmly, "The only solution is to undo the Founder's seal and release the great demon. To do that we need the four Void mages to work together."

Not one to be taken in by the grand scheme, Montmorency focused on a very specific detail. "Where?" At this, the Pope quirked a single eyebrow. "Where do you plan to unseal it?" Based on the Founder's memory, Montmorency could guess that unsealing the great demon would transport it at least to that desert from the vision, but she had a hunch there was more to it.

Taking a moment to swallow, the Pope answered honestly. "In the elven lands." Wide eyes met his, and he continued, "Even after six millennia of starving, I can only imagine how dangerous the great demon is. The elves are likely the only ones who can put a stop to it. Even if they fail, it should be weakened enough that a combined strike from our forces could finish it off. This plan is humanity's best hope." Raising his palms, he pleaded with his audience to agree.

As one would expect, Tiffania was visibly unsettled by the notion. Tiffania had never been to the elven lands, but her mother was an elf and she was kind. The elves in Brimir's memories seemed just to be normal people. Unleashing a monster on them just seemed wrong. In simple hope she asked, "Can't we ask them for help? Form an alliance and unseal the evil spirit with all our forces at the ready?" Tiffania shied away from the Pope's sad, cold eyes.

Shaking his head, the Pope explained plainly, "The elves have always treated humanity with disdain. They left us to be wiped out. If it weren't for Brimir, humanity would not exist right now. Since then, relations between elves and humans have only declined. It is a fool's hope to ask them for help. It will only tip our hand to them and endanger every living human." Taking a breath, he tried to comfort the half-elf, "I understand your fears. I give you my word that if you work with me, I will name you a saint and state that the Holy Founder has forgiven you for your blood. You and anyone you want can live within my city safely and happily." He raised his hand and pleaded once more, "We _need_ the four void mages. I will pay whatever price you demand."

Charlotte, still wary, brought up a problem, "Joseph will not help." It wasn't that she was agreeing to the man's proposal, but she could see that he was controlling the conversation and she needed to give Tiffania the time to calm herself.

Turning to the blue haired princess, the Pope conceded, "I agree, but it is possible to force the magic from a mage. That is why you came along, isn't it, Princess Charlotte?" It wasn't odd for the Pope to recognize her. She had seen him more than once in her younger years on royal occasions and her blue hair was still quite distinctive. "With you, we might be able to lure in Joseph. Still, how did you know he was Gallia's void mage?" Charlotte gave no response, she wasn't about to dispense information without benefit. Disregarding the Pope, Charlotte turned to Louise and raised one more point, "Bidashal." She herself was unsure of the Pope's plan, and would defer to Louise. The pinkette was the veteran magical girl and had spent more time dealing with the problems that followed. That meant she was the best person to make the decision.

After meeting Tiffania, fighting Bidashal, and seeing Brimir's memories, Louise understood one very important thing. Elves might hate humans, but they were still people. They were living beings that had hopes and dreams. She would not sacrifice the humanity she had desperately clung to just to take an easy way out. "I… will have to decline your offer." She spoke the words with a heavy heart. Allying with the Pope would make things much easier, but she hadn't come this far just to sell her soul. "The elves hold spiritkin in high regard. I believe if we go to them, we have a real chance at getting their cooperation." With the relieved and satisfied looks she received from her friends, Louise knew she made the right choice.

With a sigh, the Pope took off his hat and handed it to Julio. "Very well. I am not foolish enough to fight you. So I will give you these in hopes they help you succeed in your impossible task."

Louise stopped the man, "The Round Mirror and the Founder's journal as well. I promise to return them to you, but we need them to restore ourselves." Though the Pope was surprised by the request, he quickly understood the meaning of it.

Nodding, the Pope accepted the terms, "Very well. Julio." He commanded his attendant, who took the items and walked forward.

As Julio approached, Charlotte she stiffened, ready for anything. Id's tail swished, brushing Louise's hair. Louise readied herself for an attack. The Pope had obviously been prepared to convince them to join forces with them. If it were her, she would also have a plan if that failed. He was giving up too easily. "_Saito, all clear?_" She asked just to be sure.

There was no answer.

Louise's mind flew into overdrive. Julio was mere steps from Charlotte and something was wrong. "_Charlotte! Be wary!_ " There was no answer; no sign Charlotte even heard her. What? There was no way the telepathy wasn't working, Id was right here! In a panic, Louise made to open her mouth, but her body failed to act. It was then she noticed it: Id's paw was once again pressed to her soul gem. Her familiar was shutting out all control she had over her body! Every fiber of her being was poured into just moving her eyes to see her familiar's unblinking red eyes staring intently at her, its tail swishing against her hair as she tried in vain to move her body. Then, when the last of her control was stolen from her, Louise crumpled to the floor.

The next few seconds felt as if time had slowed to a crawl for Montmorency. Charlotte turned to see Louise fall, and in the instant of surprise, Julio's hand struck out. Though Charlotte's reflexes threw her into a dodge, Julio's hand still brushed his target, her soul gem. For a brief instant Charlotte lost control of her body, and that was all Julio needed to catch her gem with a second strike. Charlotte's eyes dimmed as some strange magic forced her unconscious.

Montmorency's hammer spewed steam, the bellowing cloud exuding from the expanding seams. She launched her strike toward the Pope's attendant only for Julio to dodge just below it and draw his sword in one motion. He swerved past the magical girl and his blade danced, clipping Tiffania's wand from her hand. Even as Montmorency rounded upon him, Julio spun around behind Tiffania, placing the half-elven girl between himself and certain death.

Time flowed normally once again when Montmorency stopped her strike. Julio's blade was at Tiffania's throat. Both Louise and Charlotte lay crumpled on the floor, and Saito was nowhere to be seen. Just when she was about to curse, the sound of armored boots on stone filled the hall. Dozens of Paladins poured in and sealed off the exits. Holding a hand up, the Pope stopped the paladins' advance. "Surrender now and no harm will come to you or your friends." Montmorency's hammer spewed more steam. Looking to Louise, she spied Id sitting next to its master, one paw on her soul gem. The Pope explained his intent, "That Incubator can destroy her phylactery with but a thought." Barely constrained rage filled Montmorency as she met the unchanging eyes of Id. Its damn tail swished back and forth and every fiber of her being wished she could burn right through it with her eyes alone.

Though the Pope held all the cards, Montmorency made no move to surrender. No, instead her rage turned cold. "No, you won't do that." Mad, crazed eyes met the Pope's. "I'm really not good at controlling my emotions, you know. If something were to happen to Louise, I might just _lose it._" A smile crept up her face as she saw a look of fear cross the Pope and his reply fall to mumbles of fright. The Pope needed Tiffania's magic and he needed Charlotte to lure Joseph. His only real hostage was Louise and if she died, Montmorency knew she really would just give up. "How about I take **_YOU_** hostage." When Montmorency crouched low, Julio dropped Tiffania and launched his blade forward, but he was far, far too late.

The stone beneath Montmorency splintered when she launched herself across the cathedral. Steam billowed out behind her, propelling her ever forward. Faster than one could blink, she was upon the Pope. But in that instant, the Pope spoke quickly, "Force Binding." Montmorency froze where she landed, just before the Pope and staring directly at an outstretched wand. What the hell? That was no spell she knew of. It was like her entire body was wrapped in some barrier resisting her every movement. The Pope sighed, "I wasn't expecting that." Relieved, he looked at Montmorency again, "I promise no harm will come to you or Louise." He looked at the soul gem resting between her goggles. Good, it didn't look black. What relief the Pope had faded when Montmorency's body budged. It was less than an inch, but it moved.

She would _not_ be stopped. Montmorency poured her magic inward. She knew it made her stronger. She knew each time she used it her actual body got stronger as well. Now she just needed to speed up the process. _Stronger. _She felt her muscles tightening_. Stronger! _She pushed her magic into those muscles. **_Stronger! _**She changed those very muscles into something much, much stronger.

Whatever magic the Pope was using, Montmorency didn't care, she pulled against it, felt it weaken. She would not be stopped. Then, just before she was free, just before she shredded the last remnants of the spell, a new presence landed on Montmorency's head. Eyes mad with rage looked upward as a white paw contacted her soul gem. Her very last sight was of those unblinking, unfeeling red eyes.

* * *

><p>AN: You know, I'm considering giving this story an unofficial subtitle. "Unforeseen Consequences: The Unconsciousing." When I originally penned the outline, I really should have noticed how much I knock these girls unconscious.


	19. Chapter 19: Help Me

**Chapter 19: Help Me**

A youth of endless trials and challenges had tempered the Duchess Valliere's composure far beyond that of a normal woman's. Yet that composure was sorely tested as she listened to Queen Helene's tear-filled story. When the monarch had first arrived, she had frantically explained Eleanor's situation. That alone had been enough to cause Karin's soul to flare in rage. However, she had forced herself to remain calm and send Alistair to their healer immediately. It would take some time and magic to restore the beast's strength, and in that time Karin would get all the details she could from Queen Helene.

The Queen described what she could of Louise's travels and her situation. She recalled everything Louise had told her, from their escape of Romalia to the battle in Tarbes, all the way up to the time they explained everything over Siesta's stew. For her part, Karin did manage to remain calm, only speaking to prompt the Queen to continue when the woman fell silent. As she listened, Karin turned Eleanor's empty glasses case over and over in her hands. She knew her eldest daughter had a reason for sending it with the Queen; Karin just had to determine what it was.

Despite her calm appearance, Karin was growing more and more frustrated. For all her power, for all her skill, she had utterly failed to protect her daughters. Eleanor was captured by some that traitor Wardes and taken who knows where. Louise and Cattleya were off on the run from the inquisition. All the while here she was, sitting at home waiting to go mad. "That…" Karin spoke her thought aloud as she realized it.

Helene had mostly finished and was just explaining her arrival at the Valliere estate when Karin spoke in realization. Stopping, the queen asked, "I'm sorry?" Helene had expected some sort of outburst earlier, not a mumble at the very end of her story.

Shaking her head in apology, Karin stood and dipped her head towards the Queen. "Forgive me. I just seem to have an idea as to my eldest daughter's intent. Please, treat this as your home in my absence." Bowing to the confused monarch, Karin turned and left the room.

The head maid of the household, one Emma Beal fell in behind Karin like a shadow, instinctively knowing her mistress had orders for her. "Madam?" She prompted with perfect professionalism.

Karin rounded the corner and marched down another hallway, her destination was set. "Treat that woman as you do me. Keep her identity secret from the other servants, spreading that rumor would bear no benefit." Emma nodded in confirmation even though Karin needed no such action; Emma's obedience was without question. The Beal family had long served the Vallieres and been trusted with more sensitive secrets than this. The two entered a room Karin rarely used, her private armory. An aged but pristine suit of armor hung from a stand at the opposite end and several sword wands hung from the walls. The room was stark, ordered, and full of steel. "Emma." Karin commanded, holding out her arms.

Though slight worry entered the handmaiden's heart, she still moved without hesitation. With fluid precision she stripped Karin's dress from her. Each layer flowed from the Valliere matriarch quickly and smoothly. "Is this truly wise, my lady?" Emma overstepped her boundaries out of worry.

With no other servants or guests in the vicinity, Karin did not mind the maid's presumptuousness. Emma's caution was never unfounded. Still, in this situation Karin was not about to remain idle. Reaching a hand forward she lightly tapped Emma on the head. "I am very angry right now, Emma." Karin spoke in a calm, tempered voice. "I just struck you in my rage. One might wonder if I've gone mad, what with one daughter lich, another dead, and the last kidnapped." As long as it was only Emma, Karin allowed herself a faint smile.

Finally understanding her lady's intent, Emma smiled and bowed. "Shall I get your old uniform? I finished tailoring it some time ago."

Karin nearly grimaced at the thought of wearing her old outfit. Turning an eye on Emma to cease her teasing, the elder woman shook her head. "The armor, if you would." Emma knew better than to tease her Lady any further and moved to the wall where Karin's armor hung. Though Karin had long retired from adventuring, she still maintained the armaments needed for war should Tristain ever call for her. Little did she know that she would don this breastplate selfishly rather than out of fealty. Emma's deft hands finished their task when she clipped Karin's mantle over the armor.

The sound of the door behind them opening drew Emma's gaze, though Karin didn't bother to turn, she knew who was behind her. The deep voice of Duke Valliere kindly asked, "Emma, if you would." Needing no further orders, Emma bowed and slipped from the room. "Karin…" The duke sighed when they were alone.

Karin knew his restrained words were not a demand for her to remain or a plea for her to stay. No, he felt pain for her to have to once again return to the life of violence she had forsaken. Strong arms embraced Karin slowly from behind and she laid her hand upon her husband's. "Dear," she began, "If we both go, there may be no home to bring them back to." She knew her husband desired to stay by her side, but in fact, the crown owed the Duke a favor. Something he could use to gain forgiveness should his wife charge off, controlled by her maternal emotions. If he, the head of one of Tristain's most powerful families were to charge off in pursuit there would be no forgiveness for sparking a potential war.

Turning around to face her husband, Karin met his eyes. Closing them, the Duke nodded once in reluctant acceptance, "Bring them back." In reply for his words, the Duke received a tender kiss.

Breaking away from her slightly surprised husband, Karin felt the adventurous spirit she had long since extinguished spark back to life. "Of course, who do you think I am?" Indeed, after all, she was Karin of the Heavy Wind.

* * *

><p>Days later, it was that same adventurous spirit that caused Karin to tap her foot impatiently as she waited for Old Osmond to finish his analysis. As experienced as he was, it still took the headmaster a fair amount of time to finish. "It's clever," Osmond stated as his magic circle dimmed. Reclaiming the glasses case, he closed it and handed it back to Karin. "The runes inside convert willpower to a fire based light spell that should point the way to the glasses. Do you have another? I do misplace my spectacles far too often." Karin ignored the light humor and looked at the old headmaster with tempered steel. Under that gaze, all Old Osmond could do was sigh.<p>

Flipping the glasses case open, Karin channeled willpower within and sure enough the runes flared to life, yet nothing more happened. There was no indication of which direction to go. "How far is the range?" She asked with little courtesy.

Rubbing his beard, the old mage pondered aloud, "A few hundred yards at most. I suggest you go to wherever you last had your glasses." The man's subtle probing for information was ignored in favor of the case before Karin. It wasn't the first time she wished that she better understood the more academic applications of magic.

Handing the case back to the man, Karin leveled her gaze and asked plainly, "Can you increase the range?" The faintest of movements drew Karin's eyes to a small mouse skittering about on the floor. Whatever mission the headmaster had for his familiar was promptly forgotten under Karin's ice cold gaze.

Old Osmond sighed again when he realized he wouldn't even be getting a consolation prize for all his work. Taking back the case, he looked at the runes within. "I could remove the limiter, but that would render the runes rather inaccurate. At best the light would only provide a general direction." Osmond was beginning to get the feeling Karin wasn't tracking a mere pair of glasses.

Nodding, Karin commanded, "Do it." There was a beat before Karin calmed herself, "Please." Knowing that was the best he would get, Old Osmond carefully went to work removing the limiter. It was a simple task, but he paced himself all the same. A single mistake could destroy the artifact and he hardly wanted to anger this particular guest.

After a few minutes of minor incantations, Osmond let out a relieved breath and let his magic fade. Lifting the case from his desk, Osmond held the artifact out to Karin. "Here you are." The case was taken from his grasp in but a moment.

Once more Karin's willpower flared and once more light shone from the runes etched into it, yet this time something more happened. A tiny arrow of warm flame flared to life and pointed south. "Thank you Osmond. If anyone asks, I was half mad throughout this." The thanks were polite and curt, but genuine as well. Leaving the man to ponder, Karin turned and leapt from his window and onto her familiar. "Alistiar," she spoke to her mount, "Shall we go mad?" Alistair's roar spilt the dawn, and Karin of the Heavy Wind headed on one final adventure.

* * *

><p>Saito took his job as a lookout seriously. He knew it was to keep him out of harm's way should fighting break out, but he also knew it was important for their cover as well. He kept his eyes trained through the crack in the cathedral door and watched the paladins patrol outside for any suspicious movements. He could only just hear what was going on in the main cathedral behind him as the doors leading from the lobby blocked most of the sound. However, he did manage to catch most of the important bits.<p>

For a moment he worried when they started using the Founder's Mirror, but that ended in moments. Perhaps time moved faster in those memories? That sounded magicy enough for this setting. Saito rolled his eyes at said setting once more and kept his watch. His heart skipped a beat when a pair of paladins met up with the guards at the front gate and looked to be discussing something. Tuning out the sounds behind him, Saito focused all his attention forward. Was this a guard shift or something dangerous? "_Louise…_" He called over the telepathy hesitantly. It would be best to alert her.

When Louise didn't answer, Saito thought to go check on her, but then the sound of horse hooves startled him. Several carriages pulled up to the front gate and more paladins piled out from within. "_Louise, we have company. At least twenty paladins just showed up in carriages._" No answer. "_Louise!_" Saito called out in panic, and still received no answer.

Something was wrong. Saito realized it with a fright and turned around. As quietly as he could, he scurried to the interior doors and peeked through. What he saw seemed impossible. Louise and Charlotte lay still on the ground. Montmorency held her hammer ready as her eyes darted between the Pope at the far side of the chapel, where Id sat with its paw on Louise's soul gem, and where Julio stood with a blade to Tiffania's throat. White hot rage and crippling fear erupted in Saito when he spotted Tiffania. His pistol was out in an instant and his free hand pressed in the wheel. Yet despite the enchantment on the pistol, the wheel remained inert. Again he pressed it in and again nothing happened. Why _now_ of all times was it malfunctioning!? Saito's hand found Derflinger and he made to charge, only to stop when Derflinger's magic filled his body and halted his movements. "Partner, don't do it." The sword whispered with tempered caution. Saito's crazed eyes met Derflinger. "You charge in now and you could startle that boy into killing her." Saito's muscles struggled against Derflinger for a moment, but stopped when Saito's mind caught up to his rage.

Derflinger released Saito and though the boy grit his teeth, he did not charge in. He would only get in Montmorency's way, he knew this. He hated that fact with all his being, but he knew it. He needed a plan. Right, he could buy her time! Turning, Saito returned to the outer door to tie its handles together to at least slow down the paladins' entry. However, when he arrived Saito could see them approaching through the grounds. No time! Saito was caught between the paladin squad and charging into the cathedral and endangering Tiffania. "Derflinger, jump." He commanded in both shame and anger.

Saito crouched low, confusing Derflinger. "What?" The sword stuttered, fully expecting a fight with the advancing men.

Readying himself, Saito commanded. "Just do it." Magic from Derflinger flooded Saito's body. Then, feeling each other's movements, Saito jumped at the same instant Derflinger's magic surged inside of him. With superhuman strength, the boy was launched up and into the rafters. At the same time, he felt something tear in his right ankle. Using all of his willpower not to cry out and alert the incoming forces, Saito just barely managed to grab on to the wooden support beam and pull himself onto it. Just as he did, the doors burst open and over a dozen paladins poured into the cathedral.

Saito's mind raced. He couldn't hear anything over the sound of armored boots on stone. He could only watch from the shadows up above as more and more armed paladins charged into the cathedral. Digging into his pouch, he retrieved his wheel key and inserted it to his pistol wheel. Twisting the pistol up manually, Saito berated himself for not prepping his armament sooner. He hadn't wanted Tiffania to see his gun and lose heart so he hadn't been checking it before the mission. He had left it unwound as a safety and now those 'clever' ideas had left him unable to help Tiffania. _Stupid_! He was so stupid! If only he had been ready!

A faint click signaled that his malfunctioning pistol was ready. Though still angry, Saito held his position and fought to remain level-headed. There was some commotion inside, then nothing. A pit grew in Saito's stomach. Montmorency should be making more noise fighting the guards. As if to answer his fears, a convoy of paladins exited beneath him carrying the prone forms of Louise, Montmorency, and Charlotte. It took everything he had to remain still when Tiffania exited, her hands tied behind her back and held there by Julio. Tiffania looked around as she struggled. Her eyes darted to the shadows and to the outer doors. She was looking for him! Saito bit back his shame when he realized it.

Below, Tiffania spied no trace of Saito. Repressing her relief, she realized he had to be hiding somewhere nearby. Planting her feet, she pushed rebelliously against her captor. "Where are you taking us?!" She fought her fear and did everything she could to help her familiar, wherever he was.

Julio held the half-elf firmly and waved off a paladin that moved to assist. "Calm down." He took a stronger grip and stopped Tiffania's movement. "You will be treated as an honored guest at the Pope's estate. Your friends will also be kept safe as long as you cooperate." With a push he got the girl moving again.

Tiffania's plan was not lost on Saito and he silently thanked the girl for her cunning. As Julio led the elven mage through the lobby, Saito leaned forward to watch, only to twinge in pain when he inadvertently put more weight on his ankle. Biting down the pain, Saito kept his wits about him as Tiffania disappeared through the door. The instant the last paladin exited the cathedral and closed the door behind him, Saito dropped from the rafters. Though he landed knowing his ankle was injured, he grossly underestimated the damage. He barely managed to get a hand under himself when the strength left his damaged ankle. Saito crumpled to the side, his ankle burning in pain as he fought with all his might to not scream. A cross between a whimper and a grunt escaped him as he rolled back and forth clutching his ankle. When he tried to stand, his ankle refused to comply. It took all the strength he could muster to drag himself over to the outer door. Pushing it open just enough to create a crack to see through, Saito peered out and bit back his tears.

Two carriages were being loaded. One, a rough prisoner's cart, was being loaded with the three unconscious magical girls while Tiffania was being ushered by the Pope into a second, far more ornate carriage. "Partner…" Derflinger cautioned. Heeding Derflinger's warning, Saito slumped to the floor and dug into his pouch. After a moment, he pulled out some bandages and a small vial. Glancing out the crack, Saito made sure the carriages hadn't left yet before removing the stopper from the vial and soaking two lengths of bandages. As quickly as he could, Saito bound his injured ankle.

In silence, Saito turned to his uninjured ankle and bound it with the second bandage. The healing magic of Montmorency's salve seeped into his ankle, repairing what damage had been done and more importantly dulling the pain. "Derf, be ready to jump again." Saito's dire conviction suppressed Derflinger's prepared objection.

The carriages began to roll down the street, leaving only a pair of guards to watch the gate. With his ankle healed as much as possible, Saito was able to slide out from the cathedral with ease. Like a shadow, he slipped into the gardens, darting through the grass and keeping the carriages in sight. Staying low, Saito kept brush and darkness between himself and his targets.

However, his cover didn't last long. Saito reached the edge of the Cathedral gardens and looked to the tall fence before him and the buildings beyond. "Derf, to the roof." He crouched low and tried to feel the magic seeping into him once more.

Even as he followed his partner's command, Derflinger protested the idea. "Idiot, if you hurt your legs again you won't be able to keep up!" Magic swelled within Saito's legs and Derflinger waited for the boy to move.

Saito steeled himself. "That's why I bound both." Throwing caution to the wind, Saito leapt with Derflinger. Instantly he felt the pain in his right ankle return, but he shot upward all the same. His left foot impacted the top of the metal fence and once more he jumped in unison with Derflinger. Soaring up and to the roofs above, Saito landed on the clay tiled roofs in a roll, his ankles protesting the damage done to them.

Even as the magic salve soaked into the affected area, Saito was up and hobbling before they were done healing. He had no time. Indeed, the carriages had a strong lead on him. As the pain dulled, his hobble turned into a run and Saito hurried along the rooftops to catch up. He counted himself lucky the carriages were in no hurry; for if the horses were galloping he would have no chance of catching them. Derflinger's attention was on his partner as they caught up. "Kid, what the hell was that?" The way he had moved was superhuman.

Saito kept his reply low as he ran. "I noticed it before. When you move my body I can push back. You aren't controlling my muscles, but using magic to push them. So I thought what if we worked together?" Saito leapt over an alleyway and tumbled into a roll on the other side. Thankfully the buildings in this city were packed relatively closely or he would have had to rely even more on his trick with Derflinger.

Though said trick was certainly clever, Derflinger still worried for him, "Your body can't handle that much pressure, kid." Even assuming Derflinger moved in perfect unison with Saito that still pushed Saito's normal human bones and tendons harder than they were meant to withstand.

Saito slowed and fell into a crouch when the convoy reached an intersection. "I'll be careful but now isn't the time, Derf." Saito's heart fell when the carriages left in opposing directions. The Pope's toward a large mansion in the distance and the prisoner cart toward the edge of the city. "Damnit…" Saito ground out. Tiffania needed him. He looked toward her carriage and the multitude of paladins protecting it. If he had the others here… Saito grimaced. No, they were in the complete opposite direction, there was no time to go and get them in time. There was also no way he could rescue Tiffania alone.

Looking back to the prisoner cart, Saito clenched his fist in frustration. As useless as he was there was only one thing he could do: find out where the magical girls were being taken. Shame, anger, and frustration welled within him as Saito ran in the opposite direction from his master. It was the smart decision, it was what Tiffania would tell him to make, but Saito hated it with everything that he was.

The guard detachment on the prisoner cart was smaller than the Pope's, but still more than Saito could hope to handle alone. Two paladins at the front seat and four mounted in front and behind. Even a single paladin worried Saito. They were all definitely mages, but he had a counter in the form of Derflinger. However, each one had a full set of undoubtedly enchanted armor and their sword-wands alone were enough of a counter for him. Saito didn't know how his skill would measure up in a straight sword fight; especially unarmored as he was. Attacking them was out of the question, but all Saito needed to do was find out where they were going. Then he could meet up with the others and work out a rescue plan.

The clopping of horse hooves on cobblestone obscured any sound Saito made darting along the roofs. Several times the paladins checked their surroundings, but the metal helmets they wore coupled with darkness of the night made it easy for Saito to remain undetected. Compared to the animals back in the forest around Westwod Village, these paladins were no challenge at all.

Within minutes they reached the edge of town. From his position on the closest rooftop to the city's edge, Saito sat in silence. He held the spyglass Eleanor had given him to his eyes and watched the convoy head toward a forest near the coast. At least _this_ artifact still worked as intended. Though he could see the land rise into cliffs beyond, the land from the city to the forest's edge was painfully flat. There was no way he could follow undetected. Instead, Saito steadied his breath and waited in silence, making sure to watch where they entered the forest.

So Saito sat and waited under the dim starlight. He looked to the gathering clouds above with trepidation. The darkness would be appreciated, but he worried it might- _Drip._ A drop of water hit his brow. "Damn it all." Saito returned his gaze to the prisoner cart, willing it to hurry up and reach the forest's edge. Originally, he planned to find where the carriage entered the forest and then go get the others. It wouldn't be hard to track a cart and horses through the woods, but now that it would probably rain…

Shaking his head free of fear, Saito returned to the task at hand. "There!" He whispered out in hushed excitement once he saw the convoy enter the forest. Saito hopped down onto a balcony before grabbing the railing and lowering himself to the street. If he could get to ground level normally there was no need to risk injuring himself again. As soon as he was safely down, Saito darted off into the night. The field was vast and Saito knew he would have more to cross even after this so he tried to pace himself, but as more water fell from the sky, he couldn't help but hurry his gait. If this rain picked up he could very well lose the trail.

Saito's ankles throbbed while he ran. Even with magical healing, they had still been hurt and hastily repaired without rest. He ignored his pain and pressed on. Rain began to fall in earnest just as he reached the edge of the woods. He spied the tracks immediately. Looking up, Saito studied the canopy. These woods were thick, so it would take some time for the rain to wash away the tracks; but the moonlight obscured by that same canopy meant tracking in extreme darkness as well. Knowing there was no choice, Saito withdrew his travel lantern and lit it. Though it was more of a sheltered candle than a proper lantern, it did the trick.

As Saito's meager light flickered, he followed the tracks through the forest. Carefully, he listened for horses, ready to extinguish his light at the faintest of noises. Rain gradually found its way through the leaves above. Slowly, Saito's cloak grew heavy and soggy. The tracks before him faded from the weather. Still, he pressed on. He couldn't wait for more light, he couldn't slow, and he _needed_ to keep with the trail. Though the rain would wash away the trail for now, as soon as the ground became soggy enough, the wheels of the cart would sink deeper and tracking would become child's play. It was this time between that Saito risked losing his quarry.

The candle flickered out from the wind and Saito once more was forced to light it. When he had a source of light again, Saito let out a pained grunt. He could no longer see the tracks. Panic flared and was immediately quelled. He needed to keep a level head. Even with the tracks gone there should be other signs. With painstaking effort, Saito scrounged forward, picking up the trail again. A broken twig here, disturbed leaves there, he found the signs and continued on even if his progress had slowed to a crawl.

When Saito finally found the mud tracks of the carriage wheels, he had been reduced to a soaked, muddy mess. Even though he looked as sorry as a beggar, the grin of triumph on his face utterly denied that description. He trudged along with far more speed. It was simple now, following the mud tracks, idly he wondered how far their destination was. Hopefully not far.

For once, Saito got his wish as within the hour he heard a voice cry out, "Oy, see that?" Instantly his hand flew to his candle and extinguished it. Fading into the brush, Saito pulled his spyglass free and looked to where the voice came from. Two paladins stood around a great gate built into the side of a steep incline. Mutely, Saito noted that this was one of the cliffs he had seen not too far from the city. A portcullis blocked entry to the unknown building, but Saito could see the carriage tracks leading into it. Finally, he had found where they had taken the girls.

However, the immediate problem was the two approaching paladins. One was peering in Saito's direction, looking around for movement. Had he seen Saito's light? Saito grimaced when three more paladins exited from a small enclave. Most likely a guard house then. The one peering toward Saito spoke, "I swear I saw something. We should take a look." He started to walk forward, leading the others with him.

One hung back, "You guys go ahead, one of us should remain for the next watch." The armored man inched back to the guardhouse and the fire within.

Another stopped and turned back angrily. "Don't be craven. No one gets to hide by the fire while the rest do all the work." Cowed by the angry remark, the supposed coward followed after.

Saito weighed his options. If he ran for it, he would definitely be spotted, but he could possibly outrun the men in full plate armor. Fighting was absolutely not a choice, here. His chances against _five_ heavily armed and well-trained paladin knights were slim even with the element of surprise. Sneaking away would be slow and risky as well, but probably his best bet. Just as Saito took a step back to leave, one of the paladins held his sword aloft, "Brimir's Lantern." He called out and instantly a great bright light emanated from the blade.

Saito cursed his luck. Crouched and muddy as he was, Saito knew he would still be hard to spot, however, if he tried to move, they would instantly notice him. As the men cautiously approached, Saito wracked his mind for a plan. Something to distract them maybe? "Derf, can you absorb that spell?" He whispered to the blade.

In an equally quiet voice, the blade replied, "Not from this distance." Derf readied himself for a fight. They were outnumbered two to five but he and his partner were more than the sum of their parts.

Just as the men were upon them, a paladin looked to the bush Saito had pressed himself to. "You there!" He called and brandished his sword.

Saito sprang into action. "Now, Derf!" With the light spell in range, Derflinger ate it hungrily. A pitch dark descended upon the paladins and their prey. Cries of surprise sounded and Saito darted out into the night. Though the light had taken some of his night vision from him, he had already studied his surroundings and knew the way.

A voice from behind resounded as the paladins once again summoned light. "There he is!" Their target spotted, the soldiers launched a controlled barrage of spells at Saito's fleeing form. Two streams of water raced over Saito's shoulder and sliced clean through a tree, while the remaining gouts of wind and fire struck Saito's back. However, with Derflinger on defense, they were absorbed just before connecting. "After him!" One paladin called out, seeing his prey escape.

Light flickered through the forest as five armored men chased down the elusive shadow that was Saito. Their spells rent trees and earth, but every time they neared the target the magic was extinguished. "Is he a demon? Why does nothing hurt him?!" One called out as his spell proved ineffective once more. They couldn't even get a good look at their quarry in this rain and darkness.

"Do not lose heart! He runs in fear of the Holy Founder, we need only continue and we will catch him!" called out another paladin as they pounded their way through the forest. The man's words held true as Saito began to slow in fatigue. Though he wore no armor, these men were fresh and Saito had worn himself out just getting here.

Saito's heart pounded, he didn't know how much longer he could push himself. He couldn't keep this up, no, he needed to outwit his pursuers. Darting around a tree, Saito commanded, "Derf, jump." Magic flooded his legs and Saito leapt. In that single leap, he reached the branches above just as the paladins rounded the trunk below.

The five armored men halted in surprise at Saito's sudden disappearance. "Where did he go?" One asked as he fell in back to back with the others.

"Watch the shadows." Another warned, waiting for an ambush. "Listen." The five remained still, waiting for their quarry to make a move.

Above, Saito gnashed his teeth in pain. Once again, his ankle was in dire pain and this time, his bandage wasn't helping. Obviously the rain and mud had washed away the salve. With his enemies directly below him, Saito pulled the salve out and began to apply it directly to his muddy ankle. Even as the magic once again worked to ease his ankle's pain, Saito's cold and wet hands shook with numb fingers. He didn't realize it was slipping until just before the salve fell from his grasp. In desperation, Saito reached for the tumbling vial, just barely grazing it with his fingers as it fell beyond his reach. Saito was already in motion when the small glass vial impacted the earth.

Even with the rain to muffle the sound, two of the soldiers heard the glass vial land behind them. Turning, one spied the cause of his surprise and looked up to meet Saito's boot mid fall. As he crumpled to the ground, Derflinger sang from his sheath and pierced directly into the waiting paladin's chest. With the aid of gravity and Saito's full weight behind the strike, the blade pierced through the armor with ease. "AUGH!" The paladin cried out and brought the others' attention around.

Saito was already in motion. His pistol was out instantly, the wheel spun as the trigger was pulled. Smoke billowed out with the gunshot and another paladin clutched his bloody chest when the shot tore through his breastplate at point blank range. Derflinger was wrenched free to deflect an incoming strike even as a fire spell was absorbed from another paladin. The third man left struck out with steel and Saito was only barely able to parry the blade away with the pistol in his offhand.

Throwing himself into a roll, Saito managed to dive through some brush and out from between his opponents. Saito forced himself up in time to see more wind and fire disappear into Derflinger. The three remaining paladins had spread out and were slowly moving to encircle him. A senior-looking one commanded to the others, "Spells aren't working, we strike with swords on my mark." Desperately, Saito tried to catch his breath as he eyed the three.

Derflinger rattled in warning. "Remember that armor is enchanted, boy, it's lighter and thinner than you would think. They'll move fast." Silently, Saito thanked the sword for its experience.

Tucking his pistol into his belt, Saito held Derflinger with two hands. The sword could probably eat some of the enchantment on their armor, so that meant the men's defenses were weaker than they thought. "Derf, get ready." Saito coiled and felt the magic flood his body.

In the instant before the leader called out to attack, Saito darted forward faster than humanly possible. Derflinger's magic aiding him, he crossed the distance in an instant and brought his sword forward. With the magic forcing his arms through, Saito breached through the enchanted armor like so much paper, sending out a spray of blood and a cry of agony. Pain flared in his elbows and wrists from the strain, but Saito held firm, turning to meet the two final opponents now bearing down on him.

Derflinger flicked up to meet the first blade, parrying it aside as Saito pre-emptively stepped into the other strike. Again, Saito met blade upon blade, but this time his weak wrists gave way. Derflinger tumbled from his grasp and Saito's newly damaged legs crumpled beneath him. Damn it, he needed another plan, a trick! Anything!

Saito rolled over to see a paladin standing over him, sword held aloft for the deathstroke. "Die!" The armored man called out in rage.

Saito closed his eyes in panic, but instead of enchanted steel through his heart, he felt warm droplets on his face. He looked up to see his would-be executioner staring at the tip of steel poking through. Behind him, a man clad like a swashbuckler grinned holding a curved sword through the paladin's chest. With his blonde hair peeking out from beneath a feathered cap, the newcomer looked far too well dressed for a battle in the mud. "Now now," he spoke with joviality to the man he just ran through. "That is hardly a proper line. Next time try something like, 'This is for my friends!' or even a bad pun like, 'Do you get my point?!' Anything is better than boring old 'Die!'" When the deceased paladin collapsed to the earth, the newcomer just rolled his eyes.

Broken as he was, Saito stared in awe as the newcomer casually deflected the sword of the last paladin. The final knight called out, "Whoever you are, I'll kill you!" Anger filled the man and his strike was easily predicted as a result.

Batting away another blow with the mild disdain one holds for a temperamental child, the blonde man shook his head and smiled, "A little better, but still you fail. The main character is obviously this kid here. That makes me the mysterious rogue that saves the day." Another flash and the newcomer's saber clipped the man's sword from his grasp. "That makes you a nameless grunt. Guess who's going to win?" With one final strike, the newcomer's saber sliced through the gap between the paladin's helmet and breastplate.

Saito looked on from where he lay as the last paladin fell to the earth. The newcomer approached while wiping his blade off and returning it to his sheath. A gloved hand reached out for Saito, "My name is Bleu. I must say, you really have your sights set high if you plan to plunder El Cárcel." The stranger hesitated when Saito waved his hand off, but softened when he saw Saito withdraw a vial from his pouch to start applying a salve to his wrists.

Even as he worked to apply the last of his healing salves, Saito couldn't help but grin at just being alive. "I wonder if this is how Louise felt…" Noticing the newcomer's confusion, Saito apologized, "Sorry, just this situation is familiar. Thanks for saving my life. The name's Saito Hiraga." With his aches fading under the magic unguent, Saito grabbed the offered hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

Bleu smiled and the offered hand turned into a hand shake. "Nice to meet you. Sounds like I was right, you _are_ a main character." Using his boot, he flicked Derflinger up and deftly caught the sword before handing it back to the younger boy.

Though Derflinger remained silent, Saito knew the sword was annoyed, "Sorry for dropping you, partner." The sword huffed, not willing to talk to an idiot that almost got himself killed. Turning to Bleu, Saito shrugged, "Main character, eh? I wouldn't say that…" Saito took a step forward, eager to be on his way, only to stumble when his ankle gave out.

Catching the muddy boy, Bleu looked him over carefully. "How often do you use that salve?" Wrapping the boy's arm around his shoulder, Bleu supported Saito's weight.

"Not often," Saito groaned as he tested his foot. It didn't hurt, but it felt weak and unresponsive. He definitely couldn't stand on it properly. "I hadn't used it until tonight, and I only healed my ankle few times." Saito paused when he felt Bleu turn to him.

The two mens' eyes met before Bleu snickered. "An idiot hero, then?" Saito soured at the title. "Healing potions like these draw strength from the body, if you keep using it on the same place, eventually you'll wear the tissue out. Don't worry though, a night of rest should fix that." Adjusting Saito's weight, Bleu looked to the woods before him. "As you aren't going anywhere under your own power, shall I lend you my aid for now?"

Saito hesitated. On the one hand, this Bleu was a total unknown. On the other, Saito owed him his life and he wasn't making it to the rendezvous point on his own. "There's a cave…"

In the dark and the rain, Bleu carried Saito through the woods and toward help.

* * *

><p>From her locked window, Tiffania watched the sun rise. The gilded cage that was her room was grander than any room she had ever dreamed of. From the feather bed to the grand bookshelf filled to the brim with historical texts to the ornate tea set with the finest morning breakfast she had ever laid eyes on, she had the luxuries any little girl would dream of. Yet, here before her window she stood and wondered. How were her friends? Were they safe? Was Saito alright?<p>

Saito… That was the worst. She could not ask after him. If he had eluded the Pope then she would only be alerting her enemy. So instead, she could only wait as a weak, useless prisoner. "Saito…" Tiffania breathed in hope and worry.

The sound of the door opening spun Tiffania to meet her guest. Just as she had expected, a guard let the Pope enter. The honor guard that flanked the Pope tried to enter only to be waved off by the man. "I'll be fine." Though hesitant, the guards obeyed and remained outside. When the door closed the Pope walked over to the tea table and sat, gesturing for Tiffania to do the same. She hesitated, but he made no move to force her, so Tiffania stayed by the window and simply watched the Romalian leader. "My name is Vittorio Serevare. Please feel free to address me by my first name. I doubt you worship the Founder and as such you needn't revere me." His smile was soft and honest, but Tiffania remained cautious.

Taking a step forward on instinct, Tiffania hesitated at her own aggressive action before finding her resolve and asking earnestly, "What is it you are planning?" She spoke harshly, her wayward emotions sending her rationale tumbling.

Sighing, the Pope poured himself a cup of tea and let the enchanted cup reheat it. Mutely, he noted that Tiffania never drank any of the morning tea delivered. "It's not poisoned, you know." He idly spoke and took a drink of the tea. Then, knowing Tiffania was impatient, answered her question. "I have already told you my plan. I will use the four void mages to unseal the great demon in the elven lands. I was honestly asking for your help last night and even though you refused, I will still honor my word. Once this is all over, I will provide for you and yours in every way and do my utmost to support your spiritkin friends." He took a sip, stewing over that idea. "They will have to be watched, but I should be able to provide enough grief seeds for them to live comfortably."

Tiffania hesitated. Vittorio's words seemed sincere, but the type of man who would damn an entire people was not one to leave loose ends. "What if I refuse?" She held fast when the Pope's dangerous eyes turned on her.

Setting the tea down, Vittorio formed a bridge with his fingers and leaned forward to study Tiffania. For a moment, Tiffania felt like a mouse caught by a curious cat. When the Pope spoke, he had her undivided attention, "Your friends remain safe and I shall entertain the idea of allowing you to visit them once you cooperate." The man stood and his expression became stern, "If you refuse, then I shall have them killed and force you to help some _other_ way. If you believe anything I say, then believe this: I know my actions are evil, but I will _not_ fail to save humankind." Taking a breath, Vittorio turned to leave, "Still, I would like to keep them alive in case we need their power to battle the great demon, so please consider playing nice." With nothing left to say, the Pope left a fearful yet still defiant Tiffania.

As soon as the door closed, what strength Tiffania had mustered quickly left her. Falling to her knees, she held back tears. She wanted to see her friends, her companions; she wanted to know if they were safe. "Saito…" Weak as her heart was, Tiffania still held out hope.

* * *

><p>When Montmorency awoke, she found that she was the last one to come to. Both Louise and Charlotte were up and looking around their shared cell. Well, Montmorency noted that she was <em>technically<em> in a cell. There were iron bars along the walls to be sure, but within was not a typical jail cell. No, instead the two sets of bunk beds were far superior to what one would even find in an inn and there were numerous luxuries from a small dining table to a desk and a bookshelf with rows of books. If it weren't for those iron bars, Montmorency would have thought she was in a high class inn. "Louise?" She spoke, drawing her friend's attention. "Where are we?" She gestured to the ridiculous cell.

Louise embraced Montmorency immediately, much to the blonde's delight. After their brief hug, Louise broke away and looked around. "I'm not sure, Charlotte was up first and according to her, we are alone." Louise looked through the bars. To one side was an adjoining cell of similar make and beyond that she could see several more.

Montmorency nodded and walked over to the bars leading out. "Good." Grasping one bar Montmorency braced herself and pulled. Enchanted metal groaned under the force and Montmorency threw her full strength into the task. Every ounce of her strength was expended. Letting out a decidedly brutish grunt, Montmorency braced her leg against another bar and put her whole body to the task. Tiny cracks formed where the bar connected to the floor and ceiling. Then, with a great breath, Montmorency stopped and bent over. Panting in labored breaths, she looked at her work. The bar had bent slightly and from the cracks in the floor and ceiling, she could tell it was starting to come loose.

Charlotte bent down and adjusted her glasses. She was well aware of Montmorency's strength, but this was surprising even accounting for that. "Impressive." She uttered honest praise.

Though happy, Louise worried for Montmorency. That worry only increased when the bar shifted back into place and the cracks in the ground repaired themselves. Montmorency frowned, "Tch. Worth a try at least." Sighing, she finished catching her breath and turned to Louise. Meeting her worried eyes, Montmorency put the girl on task. "Now what?" When the obvious plan failed, it was up to Louise to come up with a solution, after all.

Taking her turn to exhale a breath in thought, Louise pondered aloud. "Obviously we've been taken captive. They have our soul gems but they can't be too far or we wouldn't be awake at all." Charlotte nodded, remembering the hundred meter range. Louise looked around, "Still, we don't know if anyone is listening so we can't be too candid. Understand?" Louise waited for confirming nods from her companions. "If only we still had Id…" Louise trailed off remembering the familiar's betrayal.

Montmorency's fist impacted a metal bar in anger. The ringing of metal echoed only momentarily before Montorency spat out, "I knew that monster was nothing but trouble. I _knew_ it!" Fuming, Montmorency grit her teeth as she sought to pin the blame on Id rather than herself for not doing something about it sooner.

When Louise's hand touched her shoulder, Montmorency almost shook it off on reflex. "Montmorency… Please calm down." Though her voice was soft, Montmorency knew if Louise asked again it would be an order.

A new, familiar voice joined the three, "Indeed, please calm yourself." The door from the cell block opened to reveal Julio. The blonde man stepped in with the white form of Id held comfortably in his arms. When Montmorency's blue eyes met Id's red she nearly let her anger flare again, but that was stopped when Julio's right hand rested on the Incubator's furry head. Runes glowed softly on the back of Julio's hand. "As you see, I am the Wyndalfr, the Right Hand of God." He held his hand out for the three to see. "Though it gives some side benefits concerning wildlife as well, these runes were originally crafted by Brimir to control Incubators." Releasing Id, Julio demonstrated by waving his hand. Shakily Id stood on its hind legs and walked around like a circus animal doing tricks. In any other situation, Louise would have laughed to see Id act like a common trained dog, but this seemed just… wrong. "Your familiar is not to blame, Miss Valliere." Julio bowed politely, despite his transgressions.

Though she should be mad, Louise was honestly relieved at the prospect. It had hurt more than she wanted to admit to believe that Id had betrayed her. "Why tell us this?" She stated with reservation; stalling to get her emotions under control.

Rising from his apologetic bow, Julio explained, "We have your soul gems under constant watch. Should one of you begin to transform, they will be immediately destroyed." He paused when the three grimaced, then continued as tactfully as he could. "As neither I nor you all want that, I feel that it would be best to relieve your concerns. Tell me, is anything else bothering you?"

It was Charlotte who responded, "You," She stated ungracefully while glaring at the man before her, "and your master." Her mouth tinged with distaste.

Sighing, Julio tried to find some common ground, "Please understand, the Pope is doing what is best for humanity and-" He paused mid-sentence, realizing that Charlotte might have been testing to see if the Pope was his master in the first place. Clever girl… Still, he pressed on through the slip of the tongue, making the pause seem natural, "He is a great and kind man. The actions he takes pain him deeply, but he still does what he must to protect every one of his people." They were honest words as far as Louise could tell, but they did little to sway her. She knew the real reason Julio was being so kind. The Pope wished to use them against the great demon should the elves fail to kill it and they needed to not fall into despair until his plan was complete.

The sound of the door opening brought new faces into the cell block; a group of knights, a young man in robes, and a very familiar face. Montmorency recognized the bald man immediately, "Professor Colbert!" She exclaimed in happiness.

Smiling to Montmorency, Professor Colbert turned his attention to Julio, "One can only take so many cruel actions in the pursuit of the greater good before you find cruelty is the only thing you know. Tell me, how long until your master loses sight of his purpose? Or does he even still see the light?" The paladin group with Colbert stiffened, but Julio held up a hand to stop them.

Julio had no good reply for the older man and instead turned to leave, Id trailing behind him. The young robed man with Colbert produced a key and hurriedly opened the cell next to the girls'. "Professor, you really shouldn't speak like that." The young man pleaded and offered an apologetic smile to the paladins beyond.

Colbert entered the cell without fuss and patted the boy on the shoulder, "Dale, someday you'll understand that one must speak out even when it puts you in danger." Dale closed the cell door and locked the professor within, shifting nervously under the advice. "Oh," Colbert continued, "make sure those notes get filed under alphabetic order based on project name, please."

Dale bowed and replied, "Of course, professor." His task given, Dale turned and left with the paladins.

When the door closed, the girls were once again alone save the addition of a new cell neighbor. Louise and Montmorency hurried over with Charlotte casually following. "Professor!" The two girls exclaimed in hushed tones, never expecting to meet their kind teacher here of all places.

A broad, warm smile spread across Colbert's face and even in their current situation, Louise and Montmorency's hearts were buoyed. Reaching an arm though the bars, he grasped the girls' hands and said, "It is good to see you three, even with these less than ideal accommodations." He looked around with a hint of sourness in his smile.

Words escaped Louise for a moment before blurting out, "What. Why- How did you get here?" She flushed in embarrassment at her own flustered behavior.

Still smiling, Colbert withdrew his hands and took a breath, "Well, I'll tell you, but just remember that these walls have ears." Colbert looked around, knowing there were listening enchantments even if he couldn't spot them.

Louise huffed, "I assumed as much from the start." Though she remained silent, Charlotte nodded in agreement.

Eyeing his two best students, Colbert nodded, "Of course. You two were always very clever." At Montmorency's hidden pout Colbert amended, "You as well, Miss Montmorency, I only worried you might be too honest to predict such subterfuge from our captors." With the blonde properly placated, Colbert returned to the original question. "Well, sometime after you left Tarbes, the paladins returned with a research detachment. Sure enough, they ended up taking the Dragon's Raiment. They were going to arrest Siesta and I as well, but I managed to get them to forgive her under the condition I come peacefully. Had to lie to the poor girl as well…" He sighed wistfully. He knew he must have hurt her, but it was the only way the church would leave her alone. "They brought me to this fortress so I might continue my work on the Dragon's Raiment." He gestured around himself, "I would assume it's where they hide their secrets. Both the people they shouldn't be holding prisoner and the items they have me research for them." Rubbing his chin, Colbert started to drift off subject, "However, from what I've seen, it is far larger than necessary for just that. You could house half the city in here. Just what are they protecting? Surely not just some novelties." Realizing he was rambling, the professor took another breath as he lamented his situation, "And how did you three end up here?" The kind professor asked his students.

Montmorency looked to Louise and shrugged. Louise was easily the best one to tell the story, so she deferred to the pinkette. "Well, you might want to take a seat." Louise began, carefully debating just how to paraphrase. Though the task would be difficult, Louise had plenty of time for the moment.

* * *

><p>Viscount Wardes leaned against the railing of the airship as he watched Sheffield with mild interest. The woman sported a new toy on her right index finger; some odd ring that looked more like an armored claw than any jewelry suitable for a woman. She trailed it over her manta ray golem and her eyes half glazed over in the process. Intrigued, Wardes called out, "Do you mind sharing with an inquisitive mind?"<p>

Sheffield's eyes refocused and turned to Wardes at his question. Immediately, her expression soured at the sight of the leech. Still, she wasn't about to act like a child in front of this man. Instead, she put on a knowing smile and held the knowledge under his nose like the dog he was. "Oh, I was recently shown a minor _oversight_ of Brimir's. Nothing I wasn't able to fix myself, of course." It wasn't _really_ an answer, but she was able to slight Wardes all the same.

Though Wardes was far from pious, he was still raised within the Brimiric religion and his gut reaction was to stiffen at Sheffield's heretical remark. Knowing that was exactly what she wanted, Wardes calmed himself and smiled in response. Her ploy was clever after all and he couldn't help but be amused by it. "Indeed, then perhaps your master ought to be informed of the inadequacy of his magic's origin?" If it was to be a battle of words, Wardes was hardly defenseless.

For anything other than praise to be in a sentence involving her master was enough for Sheffield to bristle. Her eyes narrowed to a glare but she held her tongue. This man was so full of himself, how she would _love_ to show him his place. Still, her master had given her an order and she would be damned before she let her petty emotions hinder her obedience. "We should be going," she stated sternly, keeping her tongue just barely in check.

Wardes sighed and shrugged before pushing off from the railing and walking over to the woman. "As you wish, my dear." His honeyed words amused only himself. Stepping up onto the floating golem, Wardes ignored the woman's venomous glare until she turned in a huff and bid her artifact fly. From the way the golem jolted into the sky, Wardes knew this ride would be far from pleasant. Perhaps angering the woman had been a bad idea, after all. With resignation, he made to assuage Sheffield's poor mood. "Then you are sure of their location? Can we find them?" He offered, knowing the chance to flaunt her skills would improve Sheffield's temperament.

Though the artifact she rode diverted the brunt of the wind, Sheffield's hair still stirred as they raced through the sky. "Of course," she said snidely, "The real trick will be in the timing." Smiling, Sheffield prepared to explain just what Wardes would be doing. If she _had_ to associate with this man, at least she got to order him around.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I am _trying _to make this update more on this speed. Though this chapter is just shy of 10k words, I feel that is enough for a chapter.


	20. Chapter 20: El Cárcel

A/N: When I outlined and planned this story out Bleu and the elemental siblings had only appeared in the anime a tiny bit and the light novels with them weren't translated. While I think I managed to properly flesh them out with what I had to work with, I had to kinda guess at their abilities and fill in the gaps in their characters. Please bear that in mind should you notice any discrepancies.

Chapter 20: El Cárcel

"And then Bleu here showed up and saved me." Saito surmised to the others around the low fire. Cattleya, Siesta and Kirche each looked to one another before eyeing Bleu with varying looks of approval and apprehension. When he and Bleu had made it to the cave, it had taken some work to calm the three down long enough to explain what happened. Saito was just thankful that Cattleya had managed to get Sylphid to fall asleep before he had arrived. Three worried girls was enough trouble even without an impulsive dragon in the mix.

Bleu sighed and shook his head at Saito, "No, no, no. I didn't just save you. I gallantly appeared to thwart your death before dashingly fending off your would be killers!" Tipping his hat to the ladies, Bleu explained for Saito's benefit, "I am skilled in both sword and story, I'll not have one do an injustice to the other." Bleu's smug grin did not waver in the face of Saito's exasperated look.

Gesturing to the flamboyant man, Saito bluntly said, "Also, he's kind of like that." Nearly the whole walk back through the muddy, wet woods had been full of tales.

Kirche leaned forward and met Bleu's eyes. "Don't mind him," she dismissed Saito, "I'm simply glad that everyone is alright. Without you, we would be in the dark about all of this."

Tending to a simple meal, Siesta interrupted, "I wouldn't go that far." She held her tongue as best she could, but she was worried sick over Miss Louise and the others.

Cattleya offered a soft smile to Siesta, "We know where they are, and we know they're alive. Should something happen to Charlotte, Sylphid would feel it immediately. As she is sleeping peacefully, we can rest easy for the moment." Though she hid her worry well, Cattleya knew Siesta saw through her little facade. Regardless, now was not the time to give into to her strained heart. She not only needed to be strong for the others, but for herself as well. Turning to Saito, Cattleya told their less thrilling story, "We realized something was wrong when you didn't respond to our calls; by the time we made our way to the cathedral, you were all already gone." She grimaced, remembering the confused despair.

Leaning back and stretching out, Kirche continued for Cattleya, "So since Sylphid seemed think everything was fine and there was no commotion, we came back here and waited. Then you showed up." Kirche continued to eye Bleu as a cat views a mouse, though the gentleman did not flinch under her predatory gaze. In a way, she respected that. "So what were you doing so close to El... whatever you called it?"

Nodding to Kirche, Bleu replied, "El Cárcel. It is the secret fortress of Romalia. They keep all sorts of wonderful boons within." Holding up a finger, he counted off the many prizes just beyond his reach, "Ancient artifacts, top secret projects, treasure beyond imagination, and of course," he grinned and tipped his hat to the others, "prisoners best kept hidden." Before anyone could prompt the man to continue, he pulled off his hat and performed a flourishing bow. "As a Gentleman Adventurer it is my sworn duty to liberate Romalia from the burden of caring from those prisoners. I may also line my pockets with whatever of value I can find." Suddenly the man's outrageously expensive looking silks made a little more sense.

Siesta flatly surmised, "So you're a thief."

Bleu sighed and wiped away an imaginary tear, "You wound me, Miss. I am no mere thief! I," He looked right into Siesta's eyes to impress upon her the gravitas of his point, "am a Gentleman Adventurer. Frown upon my financing if you wish, but my chosen profession led to your friend living long enough to see his story finished." Flipping his hat back onto his head, Bleu nodded in satisfaction.

Cattleya dipped her head to the man in thanks before speaking, "We are most gracious for your help." She dipped into what she remembered of noble etiquette, "Though I know you owe us nothing, I would ask something more of you kind sir." Cattleya did not need to look to know Siesta was holding her tongue. The maid obviously disliked thievery, but the handmaiden's mistress had bowed her head to the man. Any further lack of gratitude was beneath a servant of her caliber.

Fiddling with his hat, Bleu did a poor job of hiding his pride. "I would be happy to help. If I am to be the mysterious rogue in my friend's story, I mustn't let such an innocent maiden down." Grinning to Saito, he nudged the boy suggestively. "Unless of course I was secretly the villain. Then I'd just have to steal all these lovely ladies from you."

Saito could only smirk and shake his head at Bleu's antics. "Villains _do_ always end up with a weird following of fangirls. Just look at the Akatsuki." When Bleu tilted his head in confusion, Saito waved his hand dismissively, "Just a story from back home."

Energy swelling, Bleu threw an arm around Saito's shoulders. "A fellow bard eh? I knew we were meant to make a story together. Why..." Bleu trailed off when he caught Cattleya modestly clearing her throat. "Ehem, back to the beautiful maiden's request."

Smiling, Cattleya moved the conversation back on track, "Since you have been watching this fortress, do you know a way inside? I would very much like to rescue my sister." The mention of rescue had the others' full attention.

Rubbing his chin, Bleu thought aloud, "Well, I have indeed been looking for weaknesses in their defenses. Alone, it might have been an impossible task, but with all of you, I might have an idea how to get us inside." Before Cattleya could even finish opening her mouth to object, Bleu tipped his hat to her. "I have mentioned that I planned to raid this fortress, if you want my help, I am coming along. Besides," The hungry gleam in Bleu's eye was unmistakable, "I'll not be deprived of such an interesting tale."

* * *

><p>Louise was growing more impatient with each passing hour. Tiffania was a captive as well, Id was under that Windalfr's control, and she had no idea what happened to Saito and the others. She couldn't be sure that a rescue operation was underway, but she also couldn't be sure there wasn't. That was the real problem: if the others weren't coming, she needed to get an escape plan underway as soon as possible. However, if she didn't play nice, she could ruin any rescue attempt before it even began. Fighting the conflict within herself, Louise instinctively tried to push down her emotions only to once again find her attempts rebuffed. The connection to Id was still there; only some kind of resistance was hampering her attempts to dump emotions into it. For a moment she felt the calm of an emotionless mind envelop her. Louise's breathing calmed and her heart slowed. Then fear, confusion, and frustration swarmed her mind from all sides. The surprise of so many negative emotions exploding within her snapped Louise's concentration and the link faltered. Instantly the swelling emotions subsided back to a bearable calm. After a few deep breaths Louise regained control of herself and decided not to press her luck. She could handle this stress without Id's help. Taking one more breath to relax her ever-growing stress, Louise looked about for a partner to vent to.<p>

Colbert had been taken away again, supposedly to research artifacts, so comparing notes with him was out. Charlotte had taken to power-reading through the modest bookshelf, no doubt her own method of stress relief. And Montmorency... Well Montmorency had finally stopped pacing. Instead, the girl had taken to sitting cross legged on her bed. "Montmorency?" Louise questioned.

One blue eye cracked open, "Is it important?" At Louise's hesitation, Montmorency closed her eye, paused for a moment, then sighed dejectedly and lay down on her back. "Sorry, what is it?" She spoke the weak apology, not bothering to get up.

Sitting down on the side of the bed, Louise looked her friend over before asking, "What were you doing?" It was obvious Montmorency was up to something, and if said something didn't involve physical force, it was out of character enough to draw Louise's curiosity.

Montmorency studied Louise with a cautious gaze. After several moments of careful thought, she spoke her carefully chosen words. "I'm trying to see if I can use my soul gem." Raising her arm up, Montmorency studied the back of her hand. "Every time I transform, my body seems to get stronger." Clenching her fist, Montmorency felt her own prodigious strength. "I figured speeding up the process would be our ticket out of here." Releasing her grip, Montmorency lowered her hand to cover her eyes from the light.

After a quick glance to the door and back, Louise scolded, "Careful what you say, Montmorency." Sure, it was she who had started questioning, but the girl could stand to show a little guile at times like this.

Again Montmorency cracked an eye to look upon her friend. "It doesn't matter. Seems I need to be closer to do anything." Placing her hands behind her head, Montmorency gave up and tried to relax, only to perk up at the sound of the outer door opening.

A paladin stepped in to the cell block and stopped when his partner grabbed his armored shoulder. "Reeve," the hesitating guard spoke in a hushed voice, "We're supposed to stand guard out _here_..." The trepidation in the guard's voice was alarming enough to raise Tabitha's eyes from her book.

Pulling his shoulder free, the man called Reeve bit back, "Just stay there. It'll be done soon." His partner let his hand drop, hesitated for another moment, then turned his back and argued no more. Closing the door behind him, Reeve looked over the three prisoners with restrained distaste. Walking forward, he stopped a few paces from their cell and knelt to the floor.

All three girls watched with worry as Reeve produced a small wooden box and placed it on the floor. Keeping a neutral tone, Charlotte spoke first, "What are you doing?" Setting her book down, she made her way toward the bars.

Reeve just remained silent and unlatched the top of the wooden box. Louise and Montmorency joined Charlotte by the bars. Montmorency peered at the box as Reeve took out two large vials connected by coiled rubber tubing. Montgomery's eyes widened in fear when she recognized the potions. She barely restrained her grip when she grabbed Louise's arm. "Those are firebombs! Enough to incinerate this entire cell block." Charlotte's and Louise's eyes shone with equally restrained fright.

"You know your potions, lich." Reeve spoke to the captives for the first time as he set up a small stand and hooked in the vials. With one twist they would begin to mix, giving him plenty of time to leave the room. "You killed Cardinal Torquemada." Despite his best efforts, a powerful hate tainted his voice.

Mind racing, Louise did her best to stall while she formulated a plan. "Would you believe us if we denied it?" While technically it had been Saito who had slain the man, Louise was not about to name him. Nor was she about to mention that the Cardinal was now some kind of undead thrall. That would just set the clearly unstable man off.

With his gauntlet-clad fist in a creaking grip, Reeve punched the stone floor, "Do not waste your last breaths on lies, _lich_." Pushing off the ground, Reeve stood up to face his enemies. With cold steel in his eyes, he asked, "Where is the Staff of the First?" When only hesitation answered his question, Reeve pressed, "We know the Cardinal was killed, but the magic to locate his staff is failing. You used some magic to hide the staff, do not deny it."

Montmorency unclenched her jaw and met the paladin's hatred with her own level gaze. "I deny it." Montmorency did not give the riled paladin a chance to interrupt, "Whoever is blocking your magic is probably the woman who raised the cardinal as a zombie. Who still has his staff by the-" Montmorency stopped when Louise grabbed her shoulder.

Louise's serious, restrained eyes tempered Montmorency's obvious temper. "You aren't helping." She cautioned.

Reeve glared at the three. "I should have known you would spin whatever lie you could to save yourselves. Have you liches no shame?" Shaking his head, the paladin repeated himself. "I'll give you one more chance. Tell me the staff's location or you die here."

Adjusting her glasses, Charlotte studied her would be killer. "You'll kill us regardless." The Pope obviously wanted them alive, which meant this man was acting against orders. If Reeve left them alive they could simply inform the other guards or even Julio and Reeve would never be allowed near them again. There would be no chance to punish them if they just lied. That meant this man planned to kill them here and now regardless of what they said.

Only a step behind Charlotte, Louise frantically tried to find some solution. "You'll kill us then? I thought you had sworn your loyalty to the Pope." First, she appealed to the man's sense of honor.

Though he was irritated that his questioning had once again been deflected, Paladin Reeve was more angered at having his honor called into question. "To cleanse evil in all its forms." Reeve spoke the words as a mantra, "The paladin's oath takes precedence." Dropping his pretense, Reeve nodded, "You will die here, but it will be quick. I am offering you a chance to repent. Where is the staff?"

Louise could not produce anything to placate Reeve, so she needed to go on the offensive. Needed to make him doubt his convictions. "So you will be our judge and executioner? What crimes have we committed to deserve such treatment?" She searched the man's eyes for any hint of wavering conviction to capitalize on.

No such glint appeared, instead Reeve's voice rose just shy of a shout, "You broke into the Pope's residence, you murdered countless men at Tarbes, you killed Cardinal Torquemada, and you removed your very _souls _from your bodies!" His blazing eyes were matched by Louise's own conviction.

Throwing her arms up in exasperation, Louise let loose her rebuttal. "We protected our country from _invasion_, that man attacked us _first_, and we became liches by _accident _trying to help our loved ones." Pointing at the paladin, Louise pressed, "The worst we have done is breaking and entering. Last I checked that does not carry capital punishment." Pausing, Louise could see the man wavering. Had that done it?

Biting his lower lip, Reeve closed his eyes hard, searching his heart for wisdom. "Few believe they are evil, one good act does not erase a wrong, and a crime is still a crime." Reeve recalled his late commander's words. "Accident or not, you became a lich and it is my sworn duty to kill you."

Before Louise could think up some other plan, Montmorency's unceremoniously but in, "Just shut up." The utter disdain in her voice was palpable. Looking upon Reeve as one would rotting food, Montmorency cut into him, "Stop pretending you're doing something righteous. Those paper thin excuses sicken me." Narrowing her eyes, Montmorency stated the truth, "This is revenge, plain and simple." Reeve took a breath in to deny it, but Montmorency's piercing gaze stopped him. "That man you idolized chased two frightened little girls across a continent and cornered them far from home. Then he tried to _kill _them."

Now Reeve was shouting, "You think it matters that you look like little girls?! My family, my friends, everyone I knew was killed by a lich that had taken the body of my childhood friend." Gripping his fists tight, Reeve bit back tears, "I was four years old. I would have died too if the commander hadn't saved me. Can you imagine what it took to strike down monsters packed within the form of a toddler!? Do you know the burdens that man shouldered?! Do you know how many people are alive right now because of his sacrifices!?" Panting, Reeve trailed off, his eyes not leaving Montmorency's even for a moment.

With unwavering resolve, Montmorency spoke with a solemn temper, "Few believe they are evil, one good act does not erase a wrong, and a crime is still a crime." His own words thrown back at him, Montmorency pierced Reeve's convictions, "No matter the good he did, Cardinal Torquemada was still attempting to kill innocents. He believed he was doing good work, but it was still a crime. One we stopped him from committing." Pressing her face against the bars, Montmorency bared her throat. "If you want revenge then take it, but do not avert your gaze from the deed."

Metal sang as Reeve withdrew his sword and leveled its point at Montmorency. The tension in the air was suffocating. Louise and Charlotte watched on in stunned silence. Any move they might make would simply set the raging paladin off. The point of Reeve's blade rested against the skin of Montmorency's throat threatening to draw blood with but the slightest of movements. "I'll do it." He ground out deeply, not sounding convinced. Montmorency pressed her throat forward, a thin line of red ran down her throat. The time for words was over.

Several moments passed with only the thunderous thumping of hearts to fill the time. Then, slowly, Reeve lowered and sheathed his blade. "I… will defer to the Pope." He fell upon loyalty to calm his conflicted heart. Montmorency's stone gaze did not waver until Reeve had taken his things and left the cell block. With one long, deep breath, Montmorency turned, lay against the iron bars, and slumped to the floor.

Louise was by her friend in moments; checking the shallow cut before moving on to Montmorency herself. "Are you alright? That was dangerous Monmon!" Flustered, Louise looked directly into Montmorency's downcast eyes.

Shaking her head, Montmorency did her best to calm herself. "I'm fine." She rubbed away a bit of blood from her throat. Looking at her hand, she almost wished it was shaking rather than rock solid. Rather than the danger she had just faced, her plan was what scared her the most. "While I'm not sure about being incinerated, I would likely survive getting my throat pierced." What kind of person made a plan like that? What kind of _human_ thought like that?

* * *

><p>Saito hooked his finger into the hole in the metal breastplate and pulled anxiously. The armor taken from the slain paladin squad was hardly the best disguise. At least if spoken to, he could respond; the ladies armored in the back just had to hope no one talked to them. Apparently, there weren't many females in the Romalian Paladin Order. "Are we sure this will fool them?" He looked over his shoulder to the covered wagon with disbelief. Their wagon was generic enough, but not exactly convincing as a 'replacement supply wagon.'<p>

Bleu, being the only one out of armor, pointed to the cloak hood he was using to cover his face. "We just have to look enough like their supply wagon so until we get close. Then it's just a matter of taking out all the guards before the alarm is raised." He flicked the reigns and the horse picked up the pace.

From the cover of the wagon interior, Sylphid whined, "When do we get to see big sister?" She resolved to herself that she would only put up with these foolish metal clothes until she found big sister.

That was the other thing that made Saito worry. Cattleya and Kirche had done well so far in keeping Sylphid cooperative, but who knew how the young dragon would react if and when the fighting broke out. If her sense of smell wasn't so imperative, Saito would have insisted that she stay behind.

Beyond all of that, he still grit his teeth at who they were _not_ rescuing. Tiffania wasn't here, she was in the city. He knew _exactly_ where she was and yet he could do nothing. They had to rescue the others first so they would have enough firepower to break into the Pope's estate. He understood the logic. The logic that only existed because of his weakness.

He had to drop that self-deprecating train of thought when the hidden gate came into view. With the sun high in the sky, it was far easier to make out the two pairs of guards standing vigil at the portcullis, one within and one outside. As they drew near, a lax hand was raised to greet their arrival, but no move was made to raise the portcullis. "Something's wrong." Bleu warned the others under his breath before raising a hand in return. "Ho there, gentlemen!" He called out with a friendly smile.

The approaching paladin waited for Bleu to slow to a stop before stepping closer. "You'll have to turn back, friend. Didn't you hear? Whole fort is on lockdown." Sighing, the man raised an armor clad hand to gesture back to the guard house. "Last night's patrol shift went missing." He peered in and offered a light wave to the four armored figures within the supply wagon.

Bleu offered a long but intentionally repressed sigh, "I was told to make this delivery by today. They need these tools for the... new guests." Pointing his thumb back in the direction of the city, he offered, "They probably just ran off to get drunk. Any of them have a birthday last night?" Without dropping the act, Bleu scanned for activity in the nearby guardhouse.

The inspecting paladin furrowed his brow. "I hadn't heard anything about any deliveries today. And rules are rules... You know-" Whatever suspicions the man had growing within his gut were proven true when a figure within the wagon pointed a wand his way.

"Dispel." Cattleya named the spell she had been chanting beneath her breath. Instantly, an invisible wall of void launched toward the guards.

The fright of a pointed wand was followed by the confusion of nothing happening. That hesitation was all it took for the rest to act. Siesta erupted out of the front of the carriage, sailing over the paladin sentry with a dagger in each hand. The Gandalfr runes filled her body with power, her very soul knew exactly how to twist her body as she flipped so that when she released the daggers, they flew with pinpoint accuracy clean through the openings in the portcullis bars and into the gaps in the paladins' armor within. Each reached to their pierced shoulders before the effects of the sleeping draft upon the blades kicked in and dropped them nigh instantly.

Siesta's hand was on her axe before she landed next to the second outer paladin. Her enemy's sword sang as he pulled it out of its sheath and toward her neck in one motion, only to be caught on the long metal haft of her axe. Sliding her axe down the length of the blade, Siesta locked it against the hilt and twisted the blade from the man's grasp. Bending down, she hooked the axe blade under the paladin's ankle and yanked his feet from beneath him. She was atop the man before the breath even left his lungs, pike of her axe at the vulnerable armor gap over his throat. "Don't move." She commanded.

Behind Siesta, the first paladin looked down the barrel of Saito's pistol, who spoke calmly, coldly, even, "How do we open the gate?"

Though he dared not move his head, the guard's eyes glanced to his fallen comrades, then back to the imposters before him. Swallowing, he made up his mind. "Alert." Knowing it was his death, he activated the enchantment within his helmet that would bring the whole fortress down on these criminals. Or at least, he thought he activated the enchantment. No bells rang. No soldiers shouted. The fortress remained deadly quiet. Why was it not working?

A low whistle emanated from Bleu's lips. "You weren't kidding about disabling everything. What kind of spell was that?" Bleu got no answer, not that he expected any. These folk hadn't really told him much specifics the previous night, not that he really blamed them, given what he just witnessed.

Swallowing, the paladin faced the facts before him. Somehow all of the magical alarms had been disabled. Chances are these people could make it through the enchantments on the gate as well. Still, there was one way to get the alarm sounded. Pistols were loud after all.

Grabbing the hilt of his sword, he cried out in holy wrath, "FOR RO-" His battle cry was cut short by a blade stabbing into his throat. The unassuming blonde haired man he had mistaken for a driver pulled his parrying dagger free with the simplest of flourishes. With a muffled gurgle, the paladin fell to the ground.

Cattleya dropped her helm to the ground with a clatter and looked upon the scene aghast. "You didn't need to kill him." She spoke as she knelt and placed the man's hand on his chest. "We used a sleeping draft on the thrown daggers for a reason, any pinprick would have done." Glancing toward the two unconscious guards within the gate, Cattleya trusted Siesta had managed non-lethal blows.

Sighing, Bleu hopped off the bench of the wagon. "He saw my face. If it is to be spread across the kingdoms, I'd prefer it be to announce a play rather than draw the hunters of my bounty." Gesturing to the other fallen men, Bleu placated, "I made sure my hood obstructed their view however; you are free to show mercy upon them. I warn you though, mercy is a weakness that will come back to bite you." His words were hardly soothing to Cattleya.

Kirche could sense the growing tension and stepped in as she finished removing her armor. "Mercy is not a weakness." When the two turned to her Kirche recited an old Zerbst saying. "Mercy is a luxury for the strong. " Keeping her gaze on Cattleya, Kirche tried to impress the meaning of her words upon the woman. Saito had more paladin blood on his hands than Bleu, yet he had been fighting for his life. Mercy was not something the boy could have spared.

Cattleya stifled a retort as she removed the rest of her disguise. Latching the breastplate Eleanor had gifted her for battle on, she drew her sword-wand. Metal rang as she strode toward the man Siesta had pinned. She muttered a cantrip, "Pebble skip," summoning a miniature blast next to the man's head. Instantly he was rendered unconscious, but no worse for the wear. These men were doing what they thought was right – she'd be damned before she killed good men simply because it was easier. "Then stay behind me." She would not condemn Bleu or Saito, but she would not use them as an excuse either. "I _am_ strong." Thumping her great tower shield to the earth before her, Cattleya stared up at the gate that blocked her way. Louise, Montmorency, and Charlotte were within. It was time to save them.

Metal clattered to the floor as the rest removed their armor. Disenchanted as it was; the thin metal would only get in the way in a fight and make it impossible to move with any amount of stealth. Besides, the chances of bluffing their way through the entire base were laughable.

Weapons and wands were drawn as they all fell in beside Cattleya. Saito tossed a small vial over to Siesta, "Remember, Montmorency said as little as possible." When they rescued the trio of captives, he really needed to get more potions from the alchemist of the group. This was twice now they had been the crutch of his plans.

Siesta nodded and dripped the potion onto her axe before taking the dagger from the paladin beside her and doing the same to it. Placing the blade within one of the several sheaths she commandeered from the same men, Siesta turned to Cattleya, "Can you knock it down?" She nodded to the great steel bars.

Though Cattleya nodded, Kirche was the one to step forward, "Before we wake the entire fort, let me try." Disenchanted steel was no match for a triangle class fire mage of her strength. Calling forth her reserves, she folded her willpower into a thin line of heat. "Flame Lance." She purred out the spell. Never once had Kirche failed to relish in the rush of using magic. Other nobles let themselves grow numb to it; but even beyond her vices, she was called Kirche the Ardent for a reason. White hot fire quickly turned the steel before it red and soft. Slowly but surely, Kirche began to cut up and around. Bit by bit she formed a hole in the metal before her. Within minutes, it was done and she waved her wand one more time, "Levitation." She called her second spell and pushed forward on the metal bars. With her magic wrapped around the makeshift door, the steel bars floated back and softly to the stone below. Turning, she bowed to the others, "After you." It was nice to think that her fire magic wasn't completely outclassed by Cattleya's Void.

Bleu used the moment to take out a long bandana, looping it over his face and covering his hair before tying it with experience. Once he was done all that could be seen were his eyes. "Call me Rouge while we are inside if you insist on leaving guards alive." Stepping though, he returned the appreciative nod Cattleya sent him. Then muttered something about nameless grunts and stories to himself.

Turning to Sylphid, Cattleya impressed upon the playful yet agitated dragon in human skin, "Now Sylphid, I need you to find Charlotte's scent." Raising her head, the blue haired dragon-girl gave a few whiffs. Brightening up, she opened her mouth to shout, only to have Cattleya's hand clamp down over it to muffle her. "And remember, we have to stay _quiet_. If too many people find us, we might not be able to find Charlotte." At the girl's energetic nod, Cattleya released her.

Sylphid readied a shout, caught herself, and then whispered. "Big sis is this way." She bobbed on her feet, itching to rush off to follow the scent.

Cattleya spared a glance at everyone. Saito and Siesta had reclaimed the daggers from the fallen guards and hastily patched their wounds. Good, if they could just stay quiet, no more needed to die. "Let's go." Order given, Cattleya led the way just behind Sylphid; leaving the sun behind as she charged into the darkness before her.

* * *

><p>The halls wound this way and that. Again and again, they found staircases to ascend, only to have to traverse much of a floor before Sylphid got the scent again. Several times they reached an intersection and had to wait for Sylphid to sniff before continuing. Rounding a corner, they came face to face with a pair of paladins standing before a door. "Siesta." Cattleya hissed just as the two guards turned in surprise. Twin daggers flew with perfect accuracy and two paladins fell, only to be caught mid fall by Kirche's levitation magic and set softly upon the stone floor.<p>

Twice more, the group encountered patrols and twice more they were silenced before the alarm could be raised. Saito waited impatiently for Siesta to reapply the sleeping salve to her daggers. "Sooner or later, someone is going to find these guys." He could move as quiet as a mouse for all it mattered, they had no time to hide the bodies and they were going to get found if they took too long.

Cattleya kept her eyes peeled. "We have no choice in the matter." Just how big was this fortress? She had assumed it to be relatively small as it was built into the earth, but with each floor they stumbled upon massive rooms and empty barracks after empty barracks. This place seemed less a hidden prison and more a fortress big enough to house the majority of the holy city's citizens!

Amidst the silence, Sylphid perked up and looked around. "It's the nice man!" She clamped her hands on her mouth, realizing she had spoken loudly. At the other's inquisitive looked, she half removed her hands. "The man with the shiny head from the academy. I hope he has more steak."

It took Siesta half a second to put the pieces together. A bald nice man from the academy could only be one person. "Do you mean Professor Colbert?" She hesitantly asked. Sylphid, clamping her hands back on her mouth nodded vehemently. Instantly Siesta's mind went into overdrive. "Where?!" She barely kept her voice down. "Is he close?"

Sylphid cocked her head in thought and sniffed a bit more. "Closer than big sis... But I don't smell any steak with him..." She didn't quite get why Siesta was so eager. The fur lacking man only gave food to familiars. Oh, right! Sylphid nearly slapped herself. Siesta was also a familiar so it made sense she wanted steak too.

Looking to Siesta's pleading eyes, Cattleya rubbed her chin. "He might know where they are." It would certainly be faster, and if Siesta wanted to find the man so badly, he was likely trustworthy. Deciding to bet on Siesta, Cattleya nodded, "Take us to the nice man, Sylphid."

With a stronger scent to follow, Sylphid did not need to stop at intersections, she just followed the lingering familiar scent and tried to think of how best to comfort Siesta when they arrived and there was no steak to be had.

Coming to a halt by a corner, Cattleya peeked around to see a pair of paladin guards. Nodding, Siesta prepared two throwing daggers and coiled for a jump. With one great push of strength, Siesta dived around the corner. Yet just as she made to throw, the sound of ringing bells came from everywhere at once. In her surprise, she halted her throw and tucked into a roll. The two paladins saw her and their voices called out alarm in unison with the echo of their unsheathing swords. She let loose her daggers but a second later. One found its mark, but the second was deflected by the man's armor when he turned to face her.

Drawing another dagger and her favored axe, Siesta darted forward like lightning, runes driving her forward inhumanly fast. She felt the wind coiled around her target and let her axe meet his magically-sped sword. Using the superior strength her runes gifted her with, Siesta pushed the man backward and knocked him off balance. Yet just before her dagger could be brought to bear, the door next to her slammed open and knocked her to the side. Two more armed men charged out of the room, their blades bearing down on the tumbling Siesta. Abandoning her dagger, Siesta flung out her axe to deflect a blade as her free hand braced on the ground and pushed off. She flipped back toward Cattleya only to see a wall of razor wind racing toward her.

Siesta was shadowed in darkness when Cattleya's form appeared before her. Stone crunched beneath metal as the void mage slammed her tower shield down in front of her. The magic wind screamed against the enchanted steel, its futile fury rebuffed.

Red light shone from behind them and an instant later a figure raced by the master-familiar duo. Clad in her armored scales, the transformed Kirche kept her closed fists behind her, blasting a small but concentrated thrust of flames to force her onward. Soaring through the air, Kirche released her flames and brought one fist forward. Tightening her clawed fist, she unleashed another thrust to throw herself into a spin. Her foot collided with the stone wall as she kicked off and away from the intercepting spells.

Kirche landed low to the floor between the paladin group, coiled close to the stone like some kind of serpent. Still in a spin, her outstretched leg clipped their feet from beneath them and spun them like tangled puppets. Her claws grabbed the steel breastplates of two and crushed them like so much gelatin. Discarding the fallen two behind her, Kirche's foot lanced up to deflect the incoming sword strike. With one hand, she intercepted the blade and snapped it clean in half and with the other, she tore the man's helmet free to reveal a terrified face.

Caught in the rush of power she had never actually used before, the redhead grabbed the paladin and passionately kissed him, leaving the man baffled, terrified, and somewhat excited. Looking into the confused yet blushing face, Kirche purred. "They didn't tell me how wonderful this was." If using the magic of her heritage was a rush, this magic was a drug. All her life she had forced her flames through a tiny wand like a river through a gutter. This, though, now she _was _the flame and there was nothing to hold her back.

The paladin's face slowly distorted to one of distaste as his mind caught up with his baser instincts. Not keen on such a useless expression, Kirche tossed him behind her as well. He tumbled across the stone floor for several meters before Siesta was upon him with her dagger.

Once the man was out of the fight, she raced to the still-open door and slid to a stop in front of the opening. Inside was a great room as large as the hanger back at the hidden valley. Rows of tools lined the walls and several work tables laden with alchemic contraptions were dotted the room. In the center sat the Dragon's Raiment just as she remembered it. Yet the sight of her family heirloom was ignored in favor of the man standing before it. "Professor!" Standing with his back to the Raiment, Professor Colbert blinked his eyes in surprise. Out of all the possible people involved in this commotion, never had he suspected Siesta. A young man in robes stepped in front of the professor, staff at the ready and words of power on his lips. He found Siesta's dagger embedded in his forearm before he even realized what happened.

The boy collapsed like a load of bricks. Colbert leaned down in concern before removing the dagger, noting the scent of a very potent sleeping draft on its edge. "Miss Siesta..." He trailed off. "I am afraid I do not know what to say. Except perhaps, it is very good to see you." Smiling warmly, he flipped the dagger around and caught it on the blade before holding the weapon out to the young girl.

Siesta disregarded the weapon and caught the older man in a great hug. "It is good to see you as well professor! I thought you were back at the academy." Her mind was still catching up with what it was seeing.

Looking over the varied folk entering his enforced workplace, Colbert could see that they had far from enough time to trade stories. "Well, Romalia _forcibly invited_ me here to work on this." He gestured to the Dragon's Raiment behind him. "But for now, I suspect we are to rescue Miss Louise and the others, yes?" With wink he nodded to the intruders, "It would be my pleasure to show you to them."

Cattleya was about agree that time was of the essence, only to hesitate when Saito walked forward, his face pale. "That's… a Zero fighter!" He looked upon the fighter plane with confusion. What..? How..? God damn fantasy settings needed to adhere to conventions.

Colbert's understanding of their rush was crushed by the man's curiosity. "You know what the Dragon's Raiment is?!" He had worked out most of it, but new knowledge was right in front of him! He couldn't pass up this opportunity to learn!

Saito shook his head, trying to come to grips. "It's a vehicle from my land. It flies through the air and shoots down other planes." It wasn't the most articulate explanation, but he was far too entranced by a piece of his country, his_ world_, right before him.

Turning back to his worktable, Colbert sighed and rubbed his eyes, "Another weapon. All they do is give me advanced muskets and the like to piece together. Are none of these artifacts suited to something greater than violence?" Looking once more upon the Raiment, Proffessor Colbert tried to come to grips with it as a weapon. There were so many better things technology like this could achieve. Why did it always come back to war?

Though their location wasn't known yet, the alarms were still blaring and Cattleya knew they had no more time to spare. "Professor, we need to move. _Now._" Looking to the others, she nodded her head to the door.

Putting his woes behind him, Professor Colbert bent down and took his assistants staff. Taking one last look at the Raiment, the professor turned and left it behind.

At Cattleya's insistence, the group filed back into the hall and followed after Colbert as the man hurried along the route he knew well. Bleu leaned over to Siesta as he jogged, "So _he_ is allowed to steal but not me?" He jested at the irate girl.

The sound of metal boots on stone echoed all throughout the halls as the fortress sprang to life. Up ahead, several paladins charged toward them, calling out alarm as they spotted the intruders. Quick as lighting, Kirche and Siesta lanced into them, knocking the men about like dolls before dashing forward and out before they could be ganged up on.

Cattleya finished her chant just as the group regained themselves. "Fissure!" She called the earth spell to life among them. Instantly the void magic rejected the earthen form Cattleya projected and exploded, slamming the guards against the walls and knocking them out cold. Without losing their stride, the group raced through the unconscious men.

"Here!" Colbert called out in front of a heavy metal door. "It is enchanted, though, so I will need time to melt through it." He called forth the fire within himself only to stop when Kirche's clawed hand embedded into the metal and began to melt it like butter. Those odd powers and being associated with Miss Louise, Colbert connected the dots and worried even more for his students. Things seemed to have only become worse since he was brought here.

Kirche kicked the great metal door off its hinges. Inside she spied what she sought within a gilded cage. Montmorency, Louise, and Charlotte stood with surprise, fading fear, and growing joy at the sight of their friends. "This makes two times I've rescued you, Louise the Zero." Winking at the mention of Louise's old nickname she stepped aside for the rest to pile into the cell block.

Swallowing, Louise tried and failed to suppress her joyous relief, cracking an enormous grin. She had not the will to remain calm and collected. "You played second fiddle the first and I'd bet this time as well, Zerbst." Her eyes fell over the others, widening only slightly when she spied an unknown masked man and even Professor Colbert with them. "It seems we missed some things." Her gaze stopped at Saito. Though the boy tried to hide it, he was impatient. Not just to leave the alarm ridden base, but for something else. There was still one member of their band missing. "Where is Tiffania?" Louise asked despite having a good guess.

As Kirche cut through the bars of the cell, Cattleya nodded to Siesta. "Keep watch." The handmaiden was out the door immediately. "We think she is being held at the Pope's estate." Louise nodded, it made sense. The entire city was a prison to a half elf like Tiffania and the Pope likely needed to win her over to gain her help. Luxuries and daily talks did far more than a cell. Cattleya looked around, "With this alarm, going back out the front door might be difficult."

Louise's mind was already working on a plan. "That won't be a problem." When the last of the bars clattered to the floor, Louise stepped though and accepted the spare wand her sister offered. "We need to find our soul gems first, though. They should be within one hundred meters of this cell." Of course, that could be up or down as easily as north or south. Louise rubbed her chin in thought.

Such pondering was hardly necessary as Siesta cut in from the doorway. "Trouble." She hissed and readied her axe before her.

Knowing they had to keep moving, Louise led the others out into the hallway. Waiting for them several meters down was none other than Julio the Windalfr holding a placid Id in his arms. "This stops here." He said calmly as a pair of paladins ran up behind him. One tapped his helmet and said something under his breath. More footsteps echoed as paladins began to converge. Louise noted he was stalling, but held her hand up to stop the others all the same. If she was right, then their soul gems were right in front of them. She briefly eyed Id with worry, and Julio instantly picked up on it. "Correct, your soul gems are within the incubator." Nodding in recognition of Louise's careful thinking, he continued, "With a single thought, I can command it to destroy them." Letting his eyes pass over the ragtag group, he stated plainly. "None of you will be harmed if you all surrender now. Otherwise this _will_ become a bloodbath. I am ready to give my life for my master, can you all say the same?"

Louise mind raced. She needed to think of something, some way to move faster than that man could think. It was pointless, obviously. There was no way for her to survive if she didn't surrender, there was too much distance for a physical action and not enough time for a magical one. Julio obviously meant what he said. As Louise thought, more and more armed paladins filed in behind the Windalfr. With each passing moment, there was less and less hope. Still, doing that, giving up and becoming a tool to be used and discarded, abandoning Tiffania and the rest of her friends - she couldn't stand it! Her chest seized with grief, there was no solution, no escape from this despair. No... Push it down, become calm as water. She took a breath and forced her despair away.

Swish.

Id's tail flicked in the arms of the man before her. The hairs on the back of Louise rose in realization. It was a vain, probably hopeless idea; but it was something. She thought back to everything she had been through.

Back to being on the run, jumping at every shadow and fearing for her life.

_Swish._

Back to realizing she was a lich and the revulsion she felt towards her body.

_Swish._

Back to being kidnapped by that thief, loathing her helplessness.

_Swish. _

Back to being mocked at school, angry at her lack of results and frustration toward her peers.

_Swish._

Back to failing her parents again and again, desperate for any recognition.

_Swish. _

Everything in her life that dragged at her heart, she remembered the pain, the despair, the darkness. Then, just when her heart was overwhelmed, she pushed it all down.

She forced it all past the resistance in her familiar bond. When the link couldn't take any more emotion, she pushed harder. The emotions overflowed, spiraling and mixing both within her heart and that of the being before her. When it finally reached the bursting point, she spoke with a downcast face, "It makes sense, what you say. In a coldly logical way, you are trying for the best outcome." Smirking, Louise raised her face meet Julio's gaze, "But I'll have you know, I used to be known for my explosive temper. After all, emotions can make us do crazy things."

**_Swish._**

Id twisted in Julio's grasp, its little paw arcing up to cut the man's face. Utter surprise loosened Julio's grip, and Id pushed off the man and sailed through the air toward Louise. _I am free. Please engage._

Fire, wind, water, and earth lanced out from the assembled paladins in a torrent of raw power. Twenty strong bolts of various elements raced toward Id and the group beyond it. Yet not one reached as a particular sword flew forward, screaming back toward his partner's outstretched hand, "I'm not a projectile you asshole!" Derflinger hit the magic of twenty warriors head-on, elements of all types were devoured by the hungry sword. Landing point-down into the stone between the groups, Derflinger measured the stunned warriors and made the sound of smacking lips. "I'd say about two of you are line class. Mages these days..." He pined for the good old days when triangles were common - now there were some good eats.

With their numerical advantage countered, the assembled paladins hesitated, and that was more than enough for Cattleya to finish her chant. Planting her shield in front of where Louise clutched Id, Cattleya pointed her sword wand and called forth the true form of her power. "Explosion!" Even hastily chanted, the spell tossed the paladins aside like so many flies. Willing her magic not to kill, she paid special attention to leave Julio unscathed, if a bit ruffled.

With no hostages and no backup, Julio knew he had already lost. There was no possible way for him to triumph against four spiritkin, and a user of the Void with her legendary familiar. Still, he could not merely surrender. Drawing his sword, he readied himself for what would be his last stand. "You are all making a mistake. The elves will not help you. You are dooming _everyone._" He fell into a practiced stance as Cattleya strode forward to meet him.

With her eyes never leaving Julio's own, Cattleya sheathed her sword and left herself open, walking until her breastplate touched the outstretched sword. Reaching her free hand up, she grabbed the blade hard enough to draw blood and spoke with a hard tone, "_Where is Tiffania_? She is my friend, and I need to go to her." Staring deep into Julio's eyes, Cattleya hid nothing. Human, elf, half-elf, that didn't matter to her, there were only friends and possible friends. She was living proof that cooperation was possible, and she would not be deterred.

In the face of such conviction, Julio wavered. Was it... was it really possible? Shaking his head, he fought with his conflicted heart before dropping his sword and sighing, "Top floor, northeastern room of the estate." If they would go there next, he may as well limit the possibility they would harm the Pope.

Montmorency knelt to where Id was carefully retching on the ground. Recognizing the yellow gem, she muttered, "This is the second time you've spit me out. So gross..." Missing Louise's alarmed look, Montmorency placed her soul gem back on her finger and strode forward toward Julio. "Where is Robin?" At his furrowed brow she elaborated, "The frog in the bag you took from me."

Julio thought back to remember an amphibian and the possessions they confiscated when Montmorency had reverted out of her transformation. "The bag and frog were disposed of." When Montmorency grabbed his collar and slammed him into the stone wall he realized his mistake. When she pulled back a fist that could bend steel, he closed his eyes for the end. Yet no killing blow came.

Cattleya's arm held Montmorency's back. "Pointless revenge will not bring Robin back, it will only bring despair in the end." Montmorency looked at the naive woman and huffed, shaking the older woman's arm off. She had suspected this when she stopped feeling Robin's empathic bond, but it still hurt to admit. Montmorency turned her gaze on Louise, who was still fine. Louise was safe - she just had to focus on that.

Louise looked to Montmorency, knowing what the girl was going through. Still, their time was short and there was a great list of things that needed sorting. Right now, she just had to trust in Montmorency's bullheaded nature to power though as she always did. "We should get moving. This alarm will have reached the capital by now. Our best bet is to hit fast and hard before they can prepare a significant defense."

Cattleya nodded in acceptance before looking to Julio. "My apologies." He looked up from his position slumped against the wall, closing his eyes in resignation. Aiming her sword-wand, she let loose a fragment of power. "Pebble skip." Julio was safely unconscious in an instant.

Stepping forward, Louise looked to Professor Colbert, "You mentioned that you believed this fortress was built into the cliffs." At his nod, Louise asked, "Can you get us as close to the outer edge?"

Thinking for a moment, the man nodded, "I can, but they will have aerial defenses in place, Louise." He cautioned, knowing the girl's plan.

Taking the advice in stride, Louise still knew it was a better option than charging down through the winding halls of this place. Following the professor, Louise and the others made short work of any paladins they found. As long as they didn't allow the guards to hem them in they weren't a truly dangerous threat with both Derflinger and Cattleya's dispel preventing their spells from connecting.

They followed the professor into what looked like a dead end, the sound of steel boots on stone was getting louder behind them. On the far end of the hallway, more and more paladins began converging. Still, despite the growing numbers in pursuit, Louise was not worried. "Here?" She pointed to the wall. Colbert nodded. "Cattleya, here." Louise pointed the big gun of the party at an unmissable target.

Void mixed with enchanted stone. Eating it as fuel, the power exploded outward at Cattleya's command. Fresh air and sunlight bombarded them as freedom was finally found. Shielding his eyes, Colbert nearly cried at the sight of his long lost sky.

Blue, pink, and yellow flared to life as the remaining magical girls joined Kirche in their transformation. Louise looked out over the sea and toward the holy city. "Charlotte and I will cover the skies. Cattleya, you take everyone else into the estate. We need Tiffania _and _the Pope's hat, make sure to get it or we won't last long. If you find it, retrieve the journal and mirror as well, but only if you can. Id will keep everyone connected; once Tiffania is retrieved, we head for the same rendezvous cave we used last time. Charlotte and I will cover your escape." With her orders given, Louise looked to Sylphid, "Can you carry all of them?" Straddling her staff, Louise could carry two, maybe three others, not including the familiar latched onto her shoulder, of course.

Charlotte opened her book and spoke up. "She won't need to." Tearing a group of pages from her book, she cast them out the improvised window. "_Chapter Five: From Rub' al Khali!_" The pages swirled around, forming a long and wide rectangle before peeling away to reveal a great icy rug floating in the air. Ivaldi's boon would be more than enough to bear them for the journey. Nodding to Kirche, Charlotte said, "Just think to steer."

Kirche smirked, "Remember to elaborate, my dear Charlotte, but that will suffice for now." Hopping onto the rug, Kirche found it strangely soft for something made of ice. It felt like a real rug.

Sylphid had been waiting for this for far, far too long. When her big sister turned and nodded to her, Sylphid leapt into the air, calling the spirits around her to return her true form to her. Great wings unfurled and scales crawled over her body. Finally, her big sister was once again atop her and all was right with the world.

Eyeing the rather convenient rug, Louise nodded. This was better, as Charlotte and herself could stay mobile and fight back until the others landed. "Alright then," looking over her shoulder, she guessed they had less than a minute before they were found. "Time to save Tiffania." Louise summoned the energy of her staff behind her and felt the orbs lift her into the air. Coasting on the wind with a mission firmly held in her heart Louise took the lead. Behind her, Sylphid took to the skies with Tabitha and curled around to protect the wide rug carrying the rest of the group.

Just as Colbert had predicted, mounted knights dotted the skies and were quick to notice their escape. Dragons, manticores and griffins laden with paladins converged. Louise turned her staff on the apporching enemies and called forth her power. Bolts of dark energy danced though the air, swatting fliers aside like insects.

Pages flew from Charlotte's book. Chapters were called out to the wind, great winged lions, fairies, even a giant eye sprung to icy life. Charlotte's summons flew forth to meet their pursuers and suddenly the battle in the sky was many against many.

Though the sky raged with battle, Kirche urged the rug forward. Faster, lower, she poured on all the speed it would muster. Every minute counted now that they had been seen. By foot the fortress was an hour away from the city, but by air it was less than a quarter of that. "We're going in through the front!" She called out as they came upon the city. Numerous spells lanced up from the city below, each intent on swatting them from the sky. Kirche swerved back and forth, weaving between and around them. A bolt of lightning pierced through the rug just to Kirche's right. Shards of ice flung free into the air and the rug began to tilt out of control. "Hold on, we're going to crash!" All she could do to keep the falling rug on course and hope it would make it to the mansion.

Montmorency doubted that most of the others could withstand the impact. Bracing herself at the edge of the icy kite, she made ready, "Trust me." She spoke over her shoulder before launching herself at the ground. Just before Montmorency crashed into the Pope's front lawn, she released a massive plume of thick white steam. The taffy-like cushion slowed her to a stop, but she poured more from her hammer. The dense cloud had a second impact moment later when the falling carpet slammed into it.

Her target caught, Montmorency waved her hammer to dispel the thick fog, revealing a stunned but safe gaggle of passengers. Knowing Louise had left Cattleya in charge, Montmorency looked to her.

Cattleya regained her bearings and glared at the great mansion ahead of them. "Siesta, you're the fastest - Find the Pope, get his hat." Cattleya's eyes panned over the rest, "Kirche, hold the front. We need to keep more paladins from getting in until we find them." Clawed fist met palm in eager acceptance. "The rest of you are with me." Turning to the building, Cattleya thought out to Tiffania, "_Tiffania can you hear me?_" There was no response. Looking up to the havoc in the skies, Cattleya spotted a pink and white dancing figure about. _"Tiffania is not responding." _She hesitated, not sure what to do next.

An explosion resounded and another rider spiraled down from the sky. Louise's full attention was on _not_ getting burnt alive in dragon fire, so she allowed Id to take the lead with communication. _Something is blocking my telepathy in that vicinity. If you get too close you will lose contact_. Whatever the field was, it bothered Id. The Pope had already shown to have counters to incubator biotechnology, so this shouldn't be surprising. Yet...

Looking over the massive estate, Cattleya noted the pure steel covering every window and bars extending over the main gate. _"We're going in."_ Reciting her spell, Cattleya pointed her sword-wand forward, "Dispel." The bars fell from the door before her as the magic within was consumed. "Montmorency!" Not needing to be told twice, Montmorency pulled her hammer back and slammed it into the great door. Wood and steel splintered as the door flew off its hinges and imbedded into the wall beyond.

Kirche gave the group a smile as she watched them disappear into the mansion. Looking back to the outer gate, she wondered how long she'd have to hold the line. Five paladins ran out of a side street and began charging her. Hopefully a bit longer, she was still excited about trying out this new power.

* * *

><p>Though Siesta had more ground to cover, she was done with the first floor before the others even reached the top of the staircase. She had almost reached said staircase when she stopped, looking at a blank wall with interest. In her mind, she had mapped the first floor out. Relying on years of cleaning, she knew she had missed a big space right behind this wall - a room that should be right in front of her. Readying her axe, she smirked to herself, she was one hell of a maid after all.<p>

Twisting her grip, Siesta felt all the weight of the axe slide to the top. With a mighty swing, she crunched through both wood and stone. Again and again she crushed through. Speed and strength flooded from her runes, empowering her to cut through this barrier. The wall fell before her in under a minute, revealing a set of elite paladin guards within brandishing their swords in defense of the Pope sitting calmly behind them. The group of armed men in front of her did not make a move, likely stunned by the sheer strength shown by the young girl in tearing down a stone wall with an axe. The air was tense and she felt the situation ready to snap like a bowstring. Holding out her hand, Siesta asked politely, "Would you mind giving me your hat?" She wasn't here to converse, that was her master's field.

* * *

><p>Outside, Kirche slid along the stone, nimbly dodging yet another blast of fire by merely a hair. Reaching out a single hand, she trailed her claws through the magical heat. It felt soothingly warm, but it was still good practice to dodge. Releasing her own flame, she launched herself across the courtyard and slammed a foot into a paladin stupid enough to make a dash for the open door. The poor man rebounded twice against the ground before sliding to halt against a fountain. "I'll give you credit for bravery." Nodding to the defeated man, she looked to the crowd of paladins jointly chanting. "Unlike you lot."<p>

She recognized the joint chanting; it was similar enough to the hexagon magic Charlotte had taught her. However, Kirche didn't worry. These men kept trying to hit her with ranged spells, but with such an open area to dance around in, they had no chance. All she had to do was hold out her hand, release the force within and...

Kirche's body reversed directions under the force of the thrust emanating from her hand. Again and again she released her inner fire as spells collided all around her. What little that did hit her broke upon her scales. She had the sneaking suspicion that she had been given the least fun job. Where were the true warriors? The ones for which her blood boiled? Were they all within? Mildly, Kirche looked over her shoulder at the mansion, just the least bit envious.

* * *

><p>Cattleya placed her hand on the door before her - this was it. Giving the others a quick look, she evaluated them. Colbert was an unknown, but handled everything with surprising skill. Bleu hung back, his eyes darting about suspiciously. Though Cattleya spotted the glitter of gold within his notably full sack, she did not begrudge him for it as long as he continued to pull his weight. Montmorency waited for a command, obviously the girl was still locked down emotionally in the wake of the news about Robin. Lastly, Saito looked to her with barely restrained anxiety, his pistol held at the ready. Knowing they were ready for whatever was blocking Id's telepathy, Cattleya kicked the door open.<p>

Whatever they had expected, it certainly wasn't Sheffield standing over a bound Tiffania. The woman stood with a large tanned man, a purple haired girl in a frilled black dress, Viscount Wardes, and the walking corpse of Cardinal Torquemada. Sneering at their surprise, Sheffield asked, "You could not delay them just a _minute_ longer?"

Montmorency had just a moment to figure out the meaning behind the woman's words and it was not enough. Pain flared in her chest as Bleu's long saber slid through her heart. Looking down at the red soaked blade sprouting from her torso, she grit her teeth and spun; swinging her free hand out to crush the traitor. Yet the rogue was already ducking when she spun. Sidestepping around her, his main gauche flashed and sliced into Cattleya's exposed calf before he grabbed the hilt of his blade still protruding from Montmorency's back, placed a foot on her spine and pushed off the girl. Both reclaiming his blade and launching himself toward his true allies. "Sorry, but I did mention I was secretly a villain, didn't I?" He spoke with a pointed wink toward Saito.

Sheffield opened her mouth to speak, only for the Cardinal to roar out, "And the Founder dictated all undead must be cleansed!" Charging forward, he collided with the ailing Montmorency and drove her backward, crashing clean through the opposite wall and continuing onward.

Colbert supported Cattleya on his shoulder as the woman tried to stay awake against the sleeping salve flowing through her veins. The professor readied his staff, calling upon spells he'd left long behind him. They needed a plan, they needed-

Any thoughts of a plan were cut off when Saito saw Bleu lift Tiffania onto his shoulder. Seething in hatred, he charged forward. "**BLEUUUU**!" He raged from the depths of his soul.

The large, tanned man stepped in to block Saito's way. Bleu called out, "No, he's mine!" Yet the tanned man ignored it as rock crawled over his skin like armor. Saito's pistol flashed up and fired. The metal shot soared across the room and impacted the man's brow, shattering through the armor as if it were tissue paper. Blank surprise filled the man's face for just an instant before he died.

Derflinger sang from his sheath, absorbing the green fire and cutting wind launched at him from Sheffield and Wardes. Saito paid no mind to the girl worriedly catching the tanned man and passed straight on to Bleu. "**AAAAAUUUGHHH**!" Saito's rage-fueled soul lashed out against the world as he brought down his blade. Though he caught the blow upon his own blade, the sheer force of the impact sent the encumbered Bleu stumbling into the window. Knowing better than to fight in such an enclosed space, Bleu kicked the window open behind him and hopped out, summoning wind to catch him as he jumped down to the lawn below. This was three stories up, there was no way that kid would- "**BLEEEEEUUUUU**!" Saito screamed as he dived out the open window.

Eyes widening, Bleu jumped back just in time to avoid the falling boy's crushing plunge attack. "Now I kept my magic hidden for my reveal as a villain. Did you as well?" Bleu smiled as he looked upon the slowly standing boy. "Because that would be a problem, every villain needs a hero."

Though his legs screamed in agony, Saito ignored them. "Hold me together, Derf." He ordered the silent blade. Pushing his fractured legs harder, Saito charged with a blood-curdling yell.

Hopping backward, Bleu called forth his magic to cloak him in wind and lift him high to the fence. "No witty banter? Please work on that!" Planting a foot, he pushed off again and soared to the rooftops beyond.

Saito followed without so much as a doubt. Derf's magic pushed his body harder and harder, far beyond its limits. He landed atop the roofs and began his chase.

* * *

><p>Opposite Saito's mad chase, on the other side of the Pope's estate, two figures exploded out of the top floor, tumbling to the grass below. Montmorency counted herself lucky when she landed atop the cardinal and bounced off him. Red colored her clothing and her hand vainly tried to cover the open wound. "Beat," she commanded the punctured organ. Steam and magic flooded into her chest, patching the hole and forcing her body to function. She could manage this, this puppet could be powered as long as she had the magic.<p>

Faint steam emanated from the undead cardinal's wounds as he rose to his feet. Willing her feet beneath her, Montmorency leveled her hammer at her enemy. "First time you had a dragon, now I'm down a heart, will you ever fight me on fair terms?" Shuddering, she looked for a way to avoid the onslaught she knew as coming.

The cardinal's head twisted to the side. An unsteady, thunderous step carried him forward. "As it was, as it will be." The misquoted scripture fell upon Montmorency's ears like gravel. Water coiled around the Cardinal's staff and formed the head of an axe.

Montmorency met the Cardinal's brutal swing with her own, but her weakened body buckled beneath the strike and was launched into the iron fence behind her. _"I... I could use some help." _Montmorency's vision started to fade, and a dark shape fell over her.

* * *

><p>Inside the mansion, Sheffield looked after her creation. Still this uncontrollable... damn that man for making his body so willful. "I'll need to retrieve him." She looked to Wardes and smirked, "Can you handle this?" She gestured to the old man and the half asleep girl.<p>

Smirking, Wardes met her disdain with perfectly fake joviality. "Why, of course." With a flick of his sword-wand he launched a razor of thrice folded wind at Colbert's neck.

Yet rather than the red of blood appearing, a deep red flame ate Wardes' attack like it was nothing. Letting Cattleya stand on her own, Colbert's fire coiled around him like a serpent. He called forth the spell of his runic namesake - the spell he had sworn never to use again. "Flame Snake." Fire folded four times over met Wardes' hastily conjured wind and Sheffield's unnatural fire. Together, the two just barely held off the blast, and when the attack was over, Colbert still stood with that snake of heat coiled about him.

Looking to the surprisingly deadly mage and then back to Wardes, Sheffield smirked. "Well, good luck." Dancing away, she pressed a ring to the wall and melded through the stone to the room beyond.

This man was no pushover, Wardes realized. Another square class like himself; and Flame Snake... where had he heard that before? "I'll need your help." He commanded the girl still cradling the dead man.

Angry eyes looked up to meet his. "Of course."

* * *

><p>Up in the skies above, Louise dodged another blast of fire and whirled to strike down the dragon. Montmorency's weak voice filled her head, <em>"I... I could use some help." <em>Louise barely had a chance to look down to the estate below before she dodged another strike.

Twice again, Louise had to roll away from attacks, each time she tried and failed to get a good look below. _"Montmorency? Monmon?!" _Yet there was no disengaging lest she bring the twenty assorted fliers down with her. Turning her attention to Charlotte, Louise worked on a plan to end this.

* * *

><p>Another blast of wind disappeared into Derflinger without Saito so much as breaking his stride. Saito didn't know how far he had chased Bleu through the rooftops of the Holy City and he didn't care, he <em>was not<em> leaving Tiffania. When Bleu slid to a stop, Saito did the same and readied himself. As long as he had Derf, this traitor's magic was useless. "Give her back, Bleu." Saito gave the man one chance.

Bleu sat the struggling half elf upon the roof. Gagged and bound, she couldn't so much as crawl away. Stepping forward, he leveled his blade at Saito. "This should be far enough so no one important will interfere." Narrowing his eyes, he watched Saito's stance. "Originally, I just wanted to have the fun of ending your story, but now you've gone and killed my brother." Sighing, Bleu restrained his emotions, "I don't know how you managed to shoot through Jack's armor, but you did. I've been testing the range of that sword, so I know that he was beyond that." Whatever ability had allowed Saito to shoot through Jack's rock armor, it wasn't related to Derflinger. That unknown disturbed the Bleu the Swordmage, but excited Bleu the Bard.

Saito shifted his stance and Bleu tensed before moving to counter a sudden upper strike from Saito. The boy was definitely quicker than he looked. The two slowly shuffled their feet, trying to find an opening. "So now you made it _my_ story, and I'll tell you how it's going to end. I'm going to kill you, then deliver your woman for pay."

Though Saito knew Bleu wanted it he still let his rage take over. Charging, he slashed at the man only to be easily parried. Twice more Saito desperately swung to fend off the dancing Bleu, only for each strike to be perfectly parried. The back of Bleu's blade slammed into Saito's wrist, knocking Derflinger from his grasp.

The blond man used the opening to kick Saito in the chest, making him slide backward and tumble to the floor. Without Derf's magic to move him, Saito's broken body crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut. Desperately, he tried to rise, and through a Herculean effort, he just barely managed to roll onto his back. Getting up was impossible. Wind coiled around the end of Bleu's saber. "Now, to show those nameless mooks how it's done." Winking, Bleu finished his spell. "Say hello to my brother for me when you get to hell." The spear of wind lanced directly into Saito's chest.

* * *

><p>Colbert's fire countered blade of wind after blade of wind. Yet before he could build up any power to strike back, the girl in the black dress would launch several potion vials directly at him. Thick fire-eating steam erupted from them, chewing through his flames and stealing away the air his flame needed. Two daggers darted through the smoke toward Colbert's neck. Ducking, he barely avoided them only to come face to face with another pair of thrown daggers. Unable to dodge, Colbert rotated so that the blow wouldn't down him.<p>

Only, the blow never landed. Cattleya's thick steel shield batted them away, the panting girl forced her feet to move. "I told him..." She panted, staying awake by sheer will. "_I am strong_." Her head swam and her vision blurred. Still, she took aim. "Pebble skip."

The explosion cracked the air where the purple haired girl had just been. Mid-flip, the girl chuckled, "I always dodge when mages point their wands," She landed and danced forward, closing the gap between them and using Cattleya as cover from Colbert's fire. "But I've never seen a truly invisible spell." Cattleya swung her shield out, only to be throw off balance when the girl easily sidestepped.

A dagger cut into Cattleya's vulnerable side and the void mage once more felt the effects of a sleeping draft. No.. She needed to stay awake...

Darkness overcame Cattleya and her weapons clattered to the floor. Holding Cattleya as a shield, the purple haired girl hopped backwards and away. "Tata Wardes, I have a mission to complete." Inhuman strength filled her body as she downed a strange potion. Then, turning, she jumped out the window, taking care to keep Cattleya in the way of that pesky fire.

Colbert's pursuing fire was intercepted twice by wind before he realized he had failed. Turning his attention to Wardes, Colbert ground out. "Who are they?" Fire burned within his heart.

Tilting his head, Wardes surmised that he had nothing to gain by fighting this man. "Who, Jeanette? I've been told they are mercenaries." At Colbert's look, Wardes tipped his hat. "I'm going to leave now, I suggest you pursue the blonde girl. While the void mages will be kept alive, I am not so sure about the others." For an instant it looked like Colbert meant to fight anyway, but then his fires calmed. Good then. Wardes leaped from the window and made his escape.

* * *

><p>Louise knew something was wrong. <em>Charlotte, clear the skies.<em> Louise ordered and summoned up a vast amount of power. The two magical girls released their attacks as one.

"_Chapter 18: God's Prism!_" A great sphere of ice three times Sylphid's size formed above Charlotte.

Pulling her staff around, Louise let loose a massive beam of pink and black at the prism. Instantly it was split into countless lesser attacks, scattering power across the sky and wiping out over half of the riders. What was left of them fled in fear, readying for another attack of that power.

Yet their opponents were not preparing, instead they dived below. It was time to retreat. Charlotte dived for Kirche, and Louise dived to Tiffania's room. Inside, she found a gaping tunnel of holes leading out back. She was through to the other side in an instant. There on the lawn, she spied Colbert looking around. "Professor?! Where is everyone?! Where is Montmorency?!"

The hopeless, confused eyes of the man said it all. Montmorency was nowhere to be found.

* * *

><p>Each breath pained him, but Saito kept breathing all the same. His shirt was torn to shreds, but his chest was free of damage; bare save for the unscathed omamori. How? "Tiffania's charm...?" He wondered beneath his weak breath.<p>

Bleu looked on with interest. "You're telling me your woman's amulet saved you from my attack?" He paused and chewed it over for a moment. Sure he could just stab the kid but... "That is _gold!" _He smiled excitedly. "We definitely can't let this be our final duel." Hefting Tiffania onto his shoulder, Bleu saluted the broken boy. "Come and find me, oh nemesis of mine, so we can have a final battle for the ages."

"_I'll kill you_."

Saito's shuddering breath halted Bleu. Though all Saito could do was glare, he poured all of his hatred into it. "If you leave her there, I'll forgive everything, Bleu. But if you go, this won't be some story. I'll follow you, and keep following you until you are _dead_. Nothing will stop me Bleu. **_Nothing_**_._"

Meeting Saito's eyes, Bleu just smiled all the wider. "I'll be waiting for that glorious battle." Then the man was gone.

Suddenly alone on the roof, Saito tried to move, but even raising an arm was far beyond him now. How many bones had be broken pushing himself like this?

Just as the boy's vision began to blacken, he caught sight of a dragon landing, and of worried voices around him. Pink hair, and questions too blurred to hear, even if he had the strength to answer. Then Saito saw only black.

* * *

><p>Louise stood against a tree, her eyes having glazed over as she watched Saito's chest rise and fall. It had taken more magic than she cared to think about to heal him. If she hadn't found him, the boy would have likely died from those injuries. According to Kirche, they were likely self-inflicted. That last bit worried her. When he woke, she was going to need to get a promise not to use that technique again, she might not always be there to patch him back together.<p>

At the thought of Kirche, Louise was pleased to see the woman return with Charlotte. The blue haired princess coaxed Sylphid while Kirche walked through the camp to Louise. "You were right, the cave is crawling with paladins." Of course. Bleu was a traitor and Saito had brought him right to the rendezvous point.

Shaking her head, Louise asked, "Any sign of Montmorency or Siesta?" The two were still missing, and now there was no place to meet. Sure, they could defeat the paladins if they needed to, but more would just come and it was important to conserve their magic and energy.

Kirche leaned against a nearby tree and let her transformation drop. "Nothing, and from what we overheard, the paladins didn't either. We could keep watch, but they're starting search patterns."

Louise slumped to the ground and leaned her head back against the tree. Sylphid could still track Cattleya and Tiffania by scent, but that wouldn't be an option forever. "We'll keep watch tonight in shifts and let Saito recover." At least first step was obvious, they wouldn't help anyone if they charged off exhausted.

Kirche nodded and turned back to Charlotte. As the two conversed over how to best keep an eye on the cave, Louise's attention turned to where Id hopped into her lap. The small familiar curled up and lay down. _"Montmorency's body can withstand such a wound long enough for her to heal it with her own magic." _Though the thought bothered Louise, she still took it as some good news. _"Tomorrow, it would be best pursue those captured. Montmorency's low self-worth will lead to her assuming you will pursue Cattleya."_

Mouth pursing in distaste, Louise looked down to Id. Holding her tongue, Louise swallowed her words of rebuttal. In its own way, Id was just trying to help. "Thank you, Id." She spoke her measured words softly.

Id's tail twitched, and the familiar replied, _"Gratitude. I think I understand it now." _Louise furrowed her brow, trying to piece the enigmatic Id together. _"Thank you for rescuing me, Louise. Having control of this form taken from me was distressing." _Baffled by the genuine gratitude, all Louise could do was lay a hand on Id in acceptance and try to get some sleep.

* * *

><p>AN: How many people were knocked unconscious this chapter? So many! I might have a problem.


	21. Chapter 21: Bullies

A/N: Hey all, so I broke my writer's block by changing up story focus a bit this chapter. It's also shorter, just under 8000 words. In the future I plan to aim more toward this length of chapter as I have received feedback that I am drawing out chapters (and I agree with that.) Big kudos to my beta A Dark Alias as he once again does worked his magic on this chapter.

Chapter 21: Bullies

The bed, bolted to the wall of Eleanor's small cell, jostled as the imprisoned noble wedged her cleaned food tray into the metal fastenings that held the piece of furniture in place. The tin of the tray was mostly pliable; of course 'mostly' still meant Eleanor was exerting far more physical effort than she was used to. All of a sudden, the entire room jostled, causing her to slip and drop the tray with a clatter. Another bout of turbulence, she mused. The first such event had been welcomed smugly as it had proven Eleanor's assumption that she was on an airship. Since then, the twenty or so bouts of turbulence had been met with less smugness and more annoyance.

After shaking off her foul disposition Eleanor retrieved her tray and set about her task once again. The improvised tools made the going slow but Eleanor pressed on regardless. Whatever her position, Eleanor Valliere did _not_ sit and wait like a good little girl. When her work was done, Eleanor held the tray up and looked at it with a mix of satisfaction and trepidation.

Eleanor felt the tin food tray's edge with her finger. Her efforts had sharpened it somewhat, but it was still far from the razor edge she would have preferred. Glancing to the door, she knew she only had so much time before a guard checked on her.

It was now or never. Placing the sharpened edge against her wrist, Eleanor grimaced. This was going to hurt.

* * *

><p>The crunch of leaves beneath Siesta's racing stride was drowned out by the thunderous stomps of the beast behind her. "Do not suffer the undead! Purge them in the name of the Founder!" The Cardinal's shout carried through the forest, impressing the need for further haste upon Siesta. Outrunning such a pursuer would have been easier if not for the pale blonde girl limp in Siesta's arms.<p>

Her clothing dyed red with blood, Montmorency's dazed eyes tried and failed to focus on Siesta. Mutely, she tried to piece together her situation. Siesta must have rescued her... Then taken her... here? Montmorency's mind floundered. She needed to think clearer. She needed to focus. Pulling back, Montmorency withdrew into herself, focusing solely on the gem between her goggles. "This is me." She muttered to herself.

Hearing Montmorency's voice, Siesta looked down with relief. "Hang in there Miss Montmorency! I'll protect you." Slowing her gait, Siesta rounded a large oak tree and lay Montmorency down against it. "Hold onto this," Siesta said, forcing a confident smile as she pressed the Pope's hat into Montmorency's arms.

Watching Siesta unsling her axe and look to the sounds of the approaching Cardinal, Montmorency weakly grabbed the maid's arm. "Be careful." Siesta had beaten the undead Cardinal once before, but Montmorency knew the man's strength was not to be underestimated.

With a nod, Siesta broke away and stepped beyond the tree. She couldn't fight while protecting a comatose Montmorency, but she couldn't leave the blonde behind either so the simple hiding spot would have to do for now. Siesta's runes flared to life just as the brush before her exploded outward. The giant of a man charged forward, staff in hand. His half clouded eyes burned with a mad rage and he repeated his butchered battle cry. "Do not suffer the undead! Purge them in the name of the Founder!" Water formed into an axehead at the end of his staff when he swung it at Siesta.

Ducking forward, Siesta felt the wind of the man's strike pass just over her head as she stepped within his guard. The Cardinal released his staff with one hand and made a grab for the maid directly. With her axe gripped firmly in both hands, Siesta rammed the butt of it into the Cardinal's forearm. Even with her enhanced strength, it was like hitting a beam of iron. She just barely managed to divert the grapple as she slipped to the side. With the Cardinal off balance, Siesta spun and swung her axe with all her might. The blade connected with the undead man's side with a wet splash.

Siesta's eyes widened in surprise when _water_ leapt from the man's skin like living armor and caught the blow. Spinning again, Siesta struck twice more like lightning. Twice again water formed from nothing to shield her opponent. A slight dribble of discolored blood caught Siesta's eye. Her last strike had pierced the skin, if only just. Any hope that sight brought died upon seeing the wound close immediately as steam escaped to the air.

"Gandalfr," A voice from above snapped Siesta's attention to where Sheffield stood upon her manta-like gargoyle. "You may have defeated my thrall when he was half finished, but I have… improved him since then." Sheffield tilted her head to the side to avoid Siesta's thrown dagger. "I thought you were supposed to be a maid. Do you lack even the slightest hint of civility?" The annoyed woman glared down at the silent Siesta. For a moment, Sheffield considered putting the Gandalfr in her place, but in the end shook her head at the notion. The Gandalfr was slippery if nothing else and Sheffield did not have the time to waste on a pursuit borne of pride. "Come, thrall." Sheffield commanded. For a moment the Cardinal just growled as he stared down his opponent. "_Come, thrall." _Sheffield commanded again, the runes on her brow glowing.

His orders set, the Cardinal leapt into the air and kicked off a tree to land upon the gargoyle behind his master. Sheffield spared the maid one more look of distaste before flying away.

Once she was sure her opponents had fled, Siesta let out a sigh of relief and hurried back to where she hid Montmorency. The pale girl looked to Siesta as the maid's expression darkened. Montmorency was getting paler by the minute. The blonde girl spoke first. "We should move." The maid's eyes widened with worry. "I can take it but we can't stay here. Just get me a little further away, someplace I can try to heal myself." Nodding, Siesta scooped Montmorency up in her arms and carried the girl away.

* * *

><p>The clearing Siesta eventually found could hardly be called a safe haven, but it was at least farther away from their enemies and would have to do. Siesta anxiously shifted on her feet as she looked down to Montmorency. The blonde was once again in her travel clothing with her glowing wand pressed against her chest. Though the wound was closed, Siesta felt no joy when Montmorency set her wand aside. No, the grim look on Montmorency's face chilled Siesta. Forcing cheer, Siesta vainly hoped. "All better?"<p>

Montmorency just shook her head weakly. "Closing the wound was easy enough, but there's some kind of poison... I can't neutralize it." Tapping her chest, Montmorency looked to the new scar, right over her heart. "It won't beat." Why she felt herself smile, Montmorency didn't even know. Leaning her head back against the tree, she tried to keep her tears from falling. "I'm dead, Siesta. I can keep my blood flowing with magic, but for how long? How long until this body starts to rot? How long until I run out of magic?" Montmorency's eyes fell to the dim light of the soul gem in her hand.

Breath hitching with worry, Siesta interjected, "Louise!" The Valliere's name drew Montmorency's attention. "Miss Louise's healing magic should be able to heal you!" Siesta leaned in and grabbed Montmorency's free hand.

Eyes falling from Siesta to where the maid grasped her hand, Montmorency weakly smiled. Once again, she was to rely on Louise. "Do you know how we became friends?" Siesta hesitated at Montmorency's random statement. "I was a coward." Montmorency closed her eyes, remembering being the only other one to see Id. "I had spent so much time ridiculing her so when I got the smallest inkling that I could face the same treatment that she did, I panicked. I panicked and rushed to apologize to her. I just wanted to ease my own guilt, to fulfill my own selfish desire to prove that I didn't deserve the same cruelty I had given her. And do you know what she did?" Looking up to Siesta, Montmorency smiled in despair. "She forgave me without a second thought." The chuckle that emanated from Montmorency's throat was anything but cheerful. "I don't deserve that kindness."

Heart icy with dread, Siesta spoke up. "Miss Montmorency, you have stood by Louise throughout all of this. You _have_ been a true friend!" Siesta looked to the darkening soul gem.

Montmorency just shook her head. "Don't you get it? Since then I've been trying to prove that I am her friend. Trying to prove that I stay by her side out of something good and right. Not just because I feel guilty, not just because I'm too much of a coward. If cowardice is the root of our friendship, was I ever really her friend?"

With her heart tumbling in conflict, Siesta pulled Montmorency's hand to her chest. She was not a poet, nor a philosopher, nor a great orator of any kind. As a maid, Siesta only had her honest and true heart and whenever she felt unsure of herself, she always went with her instinct. Right now, she felt there was only one answer to that question and she was absolutely certain of it.

The maid's grip tightened around Montmorency's hand. "Yes." The unapologetic confirmation stunned Montmorency. "It doesn't matter how or why. No matter what rotten feeling you think created your friendship, that doesn't diminish it! What matters is that you _are_ Louise's friend. You're _my _friend. You're a treasured friend to _everyone _else, too!" Tears formed at the edge of Siesta's sight. Wiping them away, Siesta forced a smile and ordered, "So stop moping around and let's get back to our friends."

Mouth slightly agape, Montmorency paused under the intense stare from Siesta. Then, finally, Montmorency looked down with a soft smile. "Thank you." She whispered before forcing herself to perk up. "Get me one of the grief seeds from that hat. It's a long shot, but Louise's wish bore healing magic for her, so my wish might come in handy right about now."

Happy that she had broken Montmorency out of her sorrow, Siesta set about helping the crippled magical girl.

* * *

><p>The <em>Herald<em> soared through the skies flanked by its escorts with all the regality of an emperor looking down upon his subjects. It was the fastest, toughest, most advanced warship Gallia had. Normally, returning to the mobile base would have elicited a breath of relief from Sheffield, but the argument on the deck drew her both her attention and ire. Landing upon the deck, Sheffield mentally commanded her thrall to remain still and strode toward where Jeanette was glaring daggers at Bleu.

While Sheffield couldn't care less about quarrels between mercenaries, she cared quite a bit about the void mages that could be caught in a potential crossfire. As Sheffield strode over, Jeanette bit out, "Our brother is _dead_,Bleu!" The purple haired girl stepped beyond Cattleya, lying unconscious at her feet.

Meeting Jeanette's icy glare with a cheerful smile, Bleu forced a hint of sadness into his voice. "Alas, it is a tragedy. One that will be resolved between Saito and myself during the climax." That forced sadness faded in the light of Bleu's excited anticipation. Try as he might, the rogue could not completely suppress his glee.

Though momentarily stunned by her brother's callous disregard, Jeanette recovered with more anger. "Is that all we are to you, Bleu? If I died, would it just be an interesting plot point in your 'legend'?" Jeanette clenched her fists tight.

As if Jeanette's anger was truly alien, Bleu brightened, "You would do that for me?" Honest care blossomed on Bleu's face. "If Saito were to kill you just before our fight, I could deliver quite the 'who is the real villain' speech." Cupping his chin, Bleu fantasized about the prospective drama.

Jeanette half wanted to attack Bleu and half wanted to keep shouting. The conflict within her stilled her actions long enough for another to intercede. Just before Sheffield could start snapping at the mercenaries, a young blonde boy looking no older than thirteen strode by the familiar. Smiling apologetically, he appeased Sheffield as best he could and spoke. "Jeanette, you know that is how Bleu is. To him that _is _caring." The young boy's voice tempered Jeanette's anger. "And Bleu, fantasize when your job is done." Though his words and voice were nothing but pleasant, the two stilled for just a moment before turning to the boy with respect.

Though subdued, Jeanette spoke up, "Damien." Her objection fell silent in the face of Damien's warm smile.

Gesturing to the captive void mages, Damien politely asked. "Would you take them to the cells below and guard them until a shift can be set?" Again the pleasant smile was met with silent, obedient nods. Each mercenary picked up their respective captives and left for the below decks.

When the two were gone, Damien turned to Sheffield. Though he completely ignored the fact she was studying him, she knew that he noticed it. The woman wasn't exactly hiding her interest or the distaste that tainted her gaze. "Make sure they do not harm my captives." Her order was met with graceful professionalism and Sheffield bit down, annoyed all the more.

Sheffield's animosity rolled off Damien like water on a duck's back. Unfaltering in his smile, the boy looked after his siblings. "They may be eccentric, but they are professionals, I guarantee it." Nodding to Sheffield as if dismissed, Damien left for the below decks.

The familiar did not bother to stop the boy. He was the reason she hated dealing with these mercenaries. Bleu, Jeanette, and the deceased Jack – they had been easy enough to read. This one though, he kept his siblings in line but never ventured out on missions himself. The little enigma kept his abilities hidden, ready to double cross Sheffield if she felt inclined to do the same. Despite this, her master still employed them, which infuriated her. However, doubting her master's decisions was unforgivable, so she had to deal with these mercenaries for the time being.

Though caught up in her musings Sheffield did not fail to notice Wardes arrive atop his griffon and land on the _Herald_. He looked to her when he landed and jested, "So you haven't killed each other yet? My commendations on restraining your _feral_ instincts." He tipped his hat to Sheffield after dismounting.

Though she knew the man was seeking another verbal bout, Sheffield ignored the backhand compliment. She was low on patience after both the mission and dealing with those mercenaries, something Wardes was no doubt counting on. Instead, Sheffield stepped dangerously close to him, not saying a word. The man hesitated with Sheffield just before his face, not expecting such a response. Her clawed finger lightly traced the pommel of his sword-wand and her eyes clouded for a fraction of a second. "You ran." She stated with a condescending little smile before stepping back.

Pausing, Wardes looked to the armored claw on Sheffield's finger. No doubt one of her artifacts, he mused. "Rather than fight a pointless battle, I led Romalia to Louise's rendezvous location." He met her smile with one of her own. "I thought you preferred competency? Or can you not even recognize when your own plans succeed without a hitch?" Whatever advantage the woman might gain from her artifacts, Wardes and his silver tongue would not go down without a fight.

Fort a moment, the two verbal combatants stared each other down. Though sorely tempted, Sheffield remained resolute in her conviction not to get dragged into an argument. "Not completely without a hitch. I would have preferred to be at maximum strength for negotiations." Mercenary or not, Jack's strength would be missed if things didn't go according to plan.

"Indeed," Joseph announced himself as he exited the captain's cabin. Warmth blossomed in Sheffield's heart as she turned to her master. "However, we still have your trump card." The king glanced to the undead Cardinal. The warmth in her chest redoubled at the praise. "Besides, I doubt there will be any issue." An empty, imitated smile formed on Joseph's face. "A fourth piece of void is almost in our grasp. Those who would worry me are separated, captured, or pursued by our own enemies." Soon everything would be finished.

Furrowing his brow, Wardes tried and failed to read Joseph. "Forgive me, my liege, but I cannot see any way this will gain you the Pope's assistance. Perhaps if you informed me of our end goal I might be able to offer advice?" Wardes didn't bother hiding his objective, but his motivation was perfectly cloaked in false loyalty.

Pulling a book from within his cloak, Joseph gestured to Wardes. "I said _a _piece of void, not _the._" Joseph looked to the Founder's Prayer Book appreciatively. "Destruction is far easier than creation, after all." With Wardes' question dodged, Joseph turned his gaze to Sheffield. "Bring Eleanor to the cabin. Threaten her sister if you need to." His orders given, Joseph returned to the Captain's quarters.

Though she was quick to follow her master's order, Sheffield couldn't resist a parting shot at Wardes. "Don't think so highly of yourself. Mere mercenaries do not need to know the grand scheme." The man's mind was too busy puzzling over the mystery to bother with a comeback and Sheffield left him to tend to his mount.

* * *

><p>Sheffield checked to make sure the half-elf had been properly secured in the aft cell before heading toward the bow. She wasn't about to store all of the prisoners together, but placing the sisters near each other would make persuading them easier. One was always more pliable when a family member's screams of pain were within earshot.<p>

With Bleu apparently happy to stand guard over the half-elf, Sheffield supposed she counted his amicable mood a small blessing. Any levity that might have brought faded to distaste when a fearful guard stopped her on her way to the bow. "Ma'am." The sailor saluted, his fear thoroughly apparent through the formality. "There is a problem." Sheffield's mood soured.

* * *

><p>Pale and weak, Eleanor lay curled on her bed, facing away from the cell door. Her blanket lay crumpled at the foot of the bed with a strip torn out of it. Standing in the open doorway, Sheffield's eyes traced from the blanket to the pool of drying blood on the floor to the prisoner's wrist bound with an impromptu bandage made from blanket cloth.<p>

"Suicide," Sheffield stated and Eleanor cringed meekly, refusing to look at the woman. Sheffield studied the sharpened tin eating tray in her hands before handing it to the waiting sailor behind. "I'll give you credit for the creative attempt, but the follow through was a failure." Sheffield stepped into the tiny cell and looked down upon the shivering Eleanor.

After a moment of silence, Sheffield surmised she wasn't getting a response. Turning, the familiar tapped her claw on the modest desk. With a thoughtful expression, Sheffield turned and studied Eleanor once more. "You didn't strike me as the type to do that... Nor as the type who gives up half way." Sheffield's gaze fell on the reddened bandage and a twinkle danced in her eye as she looked to the blanket it came from.

"No..." Sheffield said as she placed her claw against the blanket. The woman's expression turned predatory. "You aren't one who breaks so easily, are you?" In one motion, Sheffield flung the blanket wide, revealing the magic circle written in blood on its underside. Eleanor froze, her shivering stopped, and her mind raced. Half a moment passed before she made to move, only for Sheffield to warn, "Don't try anything stupid, that isn't your area of expertise."

Eleanor's tensed shoulders relaxed and the woman sat up. The false tears that stained the woman's face clashed against the grim determination of her expression. "What now?" She asked, reading herself for what may come.

Sheffield ignored the question and held the blanket up to study. "An artificing circle for wand creation? I suppose I should expect such esoteric knowledge from you. Now just what did you plan to use as a wand, your spoon?" Though she kept her tone condescendingly playful, Sheffield wondered just what Eleanor thought she could do with a barely passable foci far above any earth for her to manipulate. The prisoner's plan most assuredly didn't end at making a wand; she was too smart for that. "No matter, come with me." Though she hesitated at apparently getting off easy, Eleanor knew better than to ignore the order.

The two walked for only a few paces before stopping at the next door. Jeanette greeted Sheffield with forced professionalism and barely glanced at Eleanor. "I am standing guard as ordered." The mercenary wasn't about to ignore Damien, but that didn't mean she was happy about it.

Rather than her usual distaste of the mercenary, Sheffield smiled knowingly. Stepping forward, she opened the cell door and Eleanor's breath caught when she saw the occupant. Cattleya hung unconscious, held up by clad in thick steel manacles chained to the wall. "Sister…" Eleanor's voice left her, unbidden.

Pride and superiority blossomed within Sheffield. "Jeanette, the one who killed your brother is friends with the prisoner there." Jeanette glared daggers at Sheffield. This was nothing she didn't know. Sheffield's next words dripped with venom. "When she wakes, please hurt her. No permanent damage this time." Eleanor whirled on Sheffield, fear and panic in her eyes as her mind raced.

"Ah," Sheffield stopped her, "From now on, you do _precisely _what my master wishes." Leaning in, Sheffield drank in Eleanor's fear. Her breath brushed against the blonde's ear as she whispered, "We only need your sister's wand hand after all. Those other digits and limbs; they are rather... _superfluous_."

* * *

><p>Tiffania looked to the modest lunch set before her. The food actually looked surprisingly good for a prisoner's rations. Actually, it was the same as Bleu's. The man sat against the closed cell door, eating from his own tray. Warily, Tiffania began to eat; there was no reason to believe it was poisoned, after all, they needed her alive. Seeing her movement, Bleu gestured with his roll of bread, "Good, right?" Tiffania hesitated, but eventually nodded. Bleu took a bite before continuing, "I told them it was for my sister, so don't tell anyone." His wink fell upon silent distrust.<p>

The meal continued in silence before Tiffania eventually spoke. "Why are you being kind?" She half accused. "You betrayed my friends. You kidnapped me. You tried to kill _Saito_." The tears forming in her eyes threatened to fall.

Bleu shrugged, completely disregarding the soaring emotions of his lunch mate. "There's no point in being pointlessly cruel to you, and my treatment of you will only be mentioned in passing unless I do something despicable." The hint of fear in Tiffania went unnoticed as Bleu continued to muse. "I considered trying to seduce you so you could be torn between Saito and I when we eventually duel, but I feel that would pull too much attention away from our bitter rivalry. Besides," Bleu gestured to Tiffania's repulsed expression. "I probably laid it on too thick during our first meeting so seduction's impossible anyway."

Gritting her teeth, Tiffania glared at Bleu before taking a calming breath. It was obvious that losing control would not help her in the slightest with this man. "Are you insane?" Tiffania asked half as an insult and half honestly.

Shrugging, Bleu pointed out, "No, but insane people never think they're insane. I mean, everyone wants to be immortal, right?" Tiffania faltered at the random subject change. Even Bleu noticed how odd that sounded, "No, I was explaining my unique actions." With his audience's attention, Bleu continued, "Everyone seeks immortality. Most people leave behind descendants, some idiots actually try for literal immortality, and others are like me." Leaning in, Bleu grinned, "We leave behind a _legacy_."

After pausing for dramatic effect, Bleu continued, "Unlike people, stories last forever. As a realist, I know that being the hero of a story is blind luck, but by working as a mercenary, I have ample opportunity to become the villain of someone else's story. In this case, that hero would be Saito." Folding his arms, Bleu nodded in satisfaction. His hero even shared his appreciation for narrative structure; Bleu couldn't have wished for a better match!

While she still wasn't convinced that he wasn't insane, Tiffania moved on. "That still doesn't explain why you're treating me with kindness. Aren't villains usually cruel?" Trying to get a read on Bleu could very well save her life, so she watched him carefully.

Exasperated, Bleu shook his head with a sigh. "There is more than one type of antagonist. Sure, you've got the super scary evil lord of doom types, but Joseph's got that covered, I think. Besides," Bleu continued with a tip of his hat, "I've always preferred the villains you can't help but like. When the bards finish Saito's story and the audience members say, 'Bleu was a bastard, but I can't help but love that guy' then I'll be dancing with joy in my grave." He smiled at that, but even Bleu knew he had to get to the point eventually, so he added, "Hence why I'll protect you for now. I captured you, so even if some unrelated party comes and does something truly dastardly, it'll reflect poorly on my loveable villain character."

Smirking to himself in satisfaction, Bleu turned his gaze once more upon Tiffania. Whether it would be in a tale or not, he never could pass up the chance to say something dramatic. "Fear not, even if Sheffield herself were to come to kill you, I would fight her off and carry you away to safety." Then the man paused in his bardic presentation and cupped his chin as a thought occurred to him.

"Oooh, that could be nice." He smirked, speaking with swooping enthusiasm as he sounded out the forming plan. "Pressed against the wall, I find what little morality I have left and rescue you. Then, with my own sister hot on our heels we run into Saito." He jumped up, and using his fork as a prop sword, he fenced a phantom opponent. "He is upon me in an instant and though we are evenly matched, slowly I start to lose." False exertion played across Bleu's giddy face, "His rage and my own reluctance to fight put me at the disadvantage; yet just before he strikes the finish blow you jump between us." Bleu held out his arms in imitation.

Then, pointing his fork at Tiffania, Bleu summarized, "Of course then we'd end up forced to travel together. Though Saito and I would shed blood together, he would resist the growing camaraderie due to the grudge in his heart." With false anguish, Bleu lamented, "Our tumultuous relationship would come to a climax when I sacrifice my life to save Saito's. Then, as I lay dying in his arms; he forgives me and gains the resolve to defeat the ultimate villain." Which would be Joseph or something, Bleu concluded with a nod.

Turning, Bleu reached for the door with his plan set in mind, only to falter as he realized. "Wait, if I did that... Damien would get mad." Sighing, Bleu kicked the floor dejectedly. "Never mind..." Turning, he shrugged to Tiffania with a weakened will. "Sorry, guess we'll just stick with the original plan."

Tiffania furrowed her brow and tried to wrap her head around her jailor. As odd and likely insane as he was, at the very least he didn't _seem _too cruel. Things could be worse.

* * *

><p>Blood loss made thinking more difficult than Eleanor liked. Still, after receiving the attention of a healer she was good enough to serve as Joseph's assistant. Chalk in hand, Eleanor made her adjustments to the large magic circle covering most of the barren room. "If you would explain the purpose of this ritual, I might be able to help more." Eleanor kept her tone as neutral as possible. The tyrant of a king was dangerously unpredictable and she did not desire a beating when there was nothing to gain from it.<p>

Said tyrant kept his eyes fixed on the Founder's Prayer Book as he replied, "No need, just keep etching those siphoning runes. Remember to adjust for void magic. Ah," The man's sarcastic enthusiasm was eerily empty. "I suppose I don't need to tell the inventor of void conducting runes such trivial things." Even the superior tone of voice was just plain fake. In fact, the man's eyes never left the page before him, as if his conversation with Eleanor was simply a distraction.

A minor bout of turbulence jostled Eleanor enough to ruin her current etching. Cloaking her investigation with frustration, Eleanor asked, "And just why does this circle need to be airborne? Scribing at your target location would be far faster." Joseph merely looked over his book with a glint of warning in his eye. He knew full well she was digging for information and he wouldn't brook her insubordination much longer. With a huff, the blonde relented and grabbed another piece of chalk before returning to her work.

Though Eleanor made no further attempt to press, her mind didn't stop turning over the problem. Joseph's insistence on an airborne circle meant he was either pressed for time with this ritual, needed the circle airborne, or didn't yet know where the ritual needed to be performed and required mobility.

The circle itself was both incredibly complex and yet incomplete. Either of which made deciphering its purpose difficult and together nearly impossible. Of course 'nearly impossible' was generally synonymous with 'a challenge' in Eleanor's dictionary, so she simply redoubled her efforts. Siphoning runes for drawing magic combined with a four pointed spectrum and modified for conducting void magic. Just what could this man need with four void mages? Whatever this spell was, Eleanor knew she couldn't let it be used. However, for now she would have to play along, lest Cattleya pay the price.

* * *

><p>When Cattleya roused, she felt the familiar grogginess of a sleeping potion wearing off. For a moment, her heart spiked with fear. Had everything just been a dream? Was she back, trapped in bed, drinking sleeping potions when the pain became unbearable? Fear turned to relief when her mind cleared and she realized she was just chained in a cell with a dangerous looking purple haired girl fiddling with a knife. Mentally, Cattleya paused and reevaluated if relief was the proper response. One deep breath without an accompanied spike of pain confirmed that yes, relief was an acceptable reaction.<p>

However, the relief was put on hold when the girl flung her knife suddenly, impaling the blade in the wall just to the right of her pink head. "My name is Jeanette." The girl spoke with cold anger as she met Cattleya's surprised gaze. "The man your friend killed was Jack, my brother." Jeanette strode forward until she was face to face with the manacled girl. She reached forward and grabbed the knife embedded in the wall. She wanted Cattleya to know _exactly _why this was happening.

"…Do you need someone to talk to?" Cattleya's unexpected question stilled Jeanette for half a moment. Fear, defiance, or anger were what she expected, not concern. "I can't imagine what losing a sibling feels like..." Cattleya trailed off, her eyes searching the woman before her.

Anger flared within Jeanette and she clutched her fist tight. "Don't patronize me!" She ground out, her eyes narrowing. In one sudden movement, Jeanette lashed out, slamming her fist into Cattleya's face with as much force as she could muster. Instantly, pain flared within Jeanette's fist, but she paid it no mind. She could heal any damage later and she had borne more pain for lesser reasons in the past. What bothered her more than the pain in her hand was the lack of any real effect upon her prisoner. Just what the hell was this Valliere made of?

Though her face hurt from the sudden punch, Cattleya reigned in her desire to chastise Jeanette. Getting angry wouldn't do anything to help anyone. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to anger you." Even with her experience in the army and with Louise's group, Cattleya still had limited practice interacting with new people. Unintended slights like these frustrated her to no end.

Pausing for a moment, Jeanette studied Cattleya with a curious look. "Are you an idiot?" After a moment more, Jeanette realized it; yes, the girl before her was an idiot. Only a moron would completely miss the fact that she was about to be tortured. Well, even idiots understood pain. Pulling out a vial, Jeanette began to drip a sickly green liquid onto her knife. "Joseph needs you functioning for whatever his plans are." After tucking the vial back within her pocket, Jeanette took a cloth and began to wipe away the excess liquid around the blade's edge. "Luckily, I made this little potion here for just such an occasion." Jeanette grinned at the perplexed, cautious expression of her victim. Finally, she could see the beginnings of fear on her face. "It's mostly manticore venom; just with the dangerous paralytics removed so all that's left is the crippling pain." To emphasize her point, Jeanette lightly pricked Cattleya's outer thigh with her knife.

Pain exploded in Cattleya's leg. It felt like a white hot metal rod had been driven clean through the bone. Her flesh burned, seared, and died ten times over. Clamping down, Cattleya repressed her screams to a strained whimper. Then just as quickly as the pain came, it vanished. Panting, Cattleya looked to her leg. Despite all the pain the limb looked fine. "I am sorry..." Cattleya panted out. Jeanette leaned in, drinking in the sweet revenge. "...for your loss." Cattleya finished between pants.

What was supposed to be delicious revenge was tainted by Cattleya's continued sanctimonious attitude. "No, but you _will _be sorry." Jeanette threatened to herald the next attack. Lighting quick, Jeanette flicked her knife, grazing Cattleya's arm and side. Again Jeanette's prisoner seized and whimpered as her body was wracked with pain. "See, I'm just supposed to hurt you. Your big sister did something bad, and you get to be punished for it." A sense of superiority filled Jeanette, "How does it feel knowing there is nothing you can do to stop this?"

When the pain once more subsided, Cattleya locked onto what Jeanette had said. "Sister Eleanor is here?" For the first time, real fear entered Cattleya's voice. Eleanor was supposed to be at home. Why... How had she gotten to wherever here was?

Jeanette did not deign to respond, instead, her wrist flicked thrice and Cattleya was assaulted with pain once again. "Tsk tsk, I asked you a question." Once the whimpers turned to pants, Jeanette continued, "Now once more, how does it feel to be helpless?" Like a cat with a mouse, Jeanette purred out her question.

Out of breath and reeling from Jeanette's poison, Cattleya left her head hanging as she replied. "I'm not helpless." Before Jeanette could punish Cattleya's impudence, the Valliere raised her head. "For most of my life it was a struggle to keep living. Yet even when my blood corruption kept me in bed for days at a time, I never once accepted that I was helpless." Steely resolve filled Cattleya and her voice picked up. "I always believed that if I could just help one person my life would have meant something. I was not and I _am not _helpless."

Cattleya's resolve was not met with anger. No, Jeanette's predatory smile only widened as she rose to the challenge. "Let's just see just how long you can keep up that attitude." This time, Jeanette's knife came forward slowly to trace a thin line of red across Cattleya's face.

Pain flared, blurring Cattleya's vision with tears. Once more, she barely restrained her voice, but only just. Her lungs cried as air was forced from them. Yet, time the pain wasn't over quickly this time. With more poison came an equally long bout of alchemically induced pain. Pressed beyond her limits, Cattleya's voice escaped from a whimper into an exhausted cry from her shuddering breath. When the seconds that seemed like hours passed, Cattleya's strength left her. The chains that restrained her to the wall were the only thing that kept the Valliere upright. Weakly, Cattleya slowly raised her head to look to the smiling face of her captor. Jeanette's face hovered merely a breath from Cattleya's and her eyes traced the small droplet of blood trailing down Cattleya's cheek. "I wonder how your fear tastes..." She breathed and leaned in even closer. A soft wet warmth pressed against Cattleya's face as Jeanette licked the droplet away.

Cattleya panicked.

With a surge of strength born from a wish, Cattleya threw herself against her chains. The wood behind her exploded into splinters as the chains fastened to them were pulled free entirely. Instantly, Cattleya had her manacled hands around Jeanette, pulling the purple haired girl's head in to her own. Cattleya met Jeanette's surprised lips with passion forged in the fires of unadulterated fear.

Jeanette struggled, her wide eyes staring into Cattleya's own. Yet despite Jeanette's best efforts, Cattleya held her firmly in place, barely registering her torturer's feeble attempts to push her off. The Valliere drank deeper and deeper; her tongue forcing its way inside. Cattleya searched and probed; overcoming Jeanette's weakening resistance. Exploring all the more, Cattleya doubled her efforts and drank away. Then, as her breathing slowed in tandem with her exertions, Cattleya slowly broke away and stared into Jeanette's confused, hesitant eyes. "Don't do that, you idiot." Cattleya pleaded, tears forming in the edges of her vision. "I told you I had blood corruption." Cattleya once more pulled Jeanette in, this time to an embrace. With all her heart, Cattleya hoped she had gotten all the blood. "I don't know if it's completely gone, or just dormant. If you caught it..." Cattleya hugged Jeanette tighter. "I'd never forgive myself." Friend or enemy, saint or murderer, Cattleya would never wish the life she had lived on anyone.

So caught up in her worries, Cattleya didn't even notice the new knife covered in sleeping draft pricking her leg. Exhausted from both the pain and her worries, Cattleya lacked the resolve to fight off the darkness that claimed her.

When Jeanette finally untangled herself from the half-chained and unconscious Valliere, she looked upon the collapsed woman with a conflicted heart. Had Cattleya waited until she was alone she might have been able to escape, but instead she had tried to protect Jeanette from her less-than sanitary actions. Now they could take precautions against that ridiculous strength. Now... Jeanette shook her confused head as her thoughts trailed off and back to the unconscious woman before her. Try as she might, Jeanette could not settle herself.

* * *

><p>It was hours before Cattleya awoke to the sound of a door closing and a familiar indignant huff coming from next door. Still groggy, Cattleya noted the colder air. Based on that and her admittedly confused internal clock, she guessed it was either evening or early morning. "Eleanor?" Cattleya wondered, hopefully loud enough to be heard through the wall, but not enough to draw an annoyed guard.<p>

A moment's silence fell on the dark, chilled air. Then, muffled by the wall be still clear enough to hear came Eleanor's voice, "I am here, sister."

In her cell, Eleanor lay on her shoddy bed, looking at the ceiling. Though both tired and happy to hear her sister, Eleanor kept her wits about her. "The walls have ears, Cattleya." Eleanor warned.

Ever the optimist, Cattleya's reply lacked any fear. "I love you too, Eleanor." As realists tend to do in the presence of optimists, Eleanor sighed. Though the wall hid Eleanor's sigh, Cattleya knew her sister well enough to predict it, but not enough to properly understand the reasoning. "How did you end up here? Is He- are Alistair and his passenger alright?"

Though Eleanor doubted there was any point in attempting to hide Helene's identity, she wasn't about to correct Cattleya. Better to be too careful than reckless, especially when dealing with Cattleya. "They are fine; I was captured delaying so they could escape." At least, Eleanor hoped the deposed Queen made it safely to the Valliere estate. "Since then, I've been here, forced to help with inane tasks." Again, there was no point in letting on that she had an inkling of whatever Joseph was planning. Though Eleanor kept her tone measured and weary, her steely gaze remained skyward.

Chained as she was, Cattleya refused to lose her positivity. "Don't worry, sister, I'm sure everything will work out!" The chained Valliere encouraged in hopes of sharing that attitude with her sister.

Setting her jaw, Eleanor replied with careful reservation, "I'm sure it will, Cattleya." Eyes hardened with resolve, she continued to stare at the magic circle etched in blood on the ceiling of her cell. _I'll make sure of it._

* * *

><p>Montmorency opened and closed her hand, testing her waning control over her body. The wind around her whipped sand across the dunes and into her legs. Though she no longer felt the pain of the small pricks against her exposed skin, Montmorency's expression still soured in annoyance. For two days, they had traveled eastward toward her faint 'feeling' of where Louise was supposed to be, traveling straight from the forests of Romalia into the desert of the elven lands' border. If a desert wasn't bad enough, Montmorency did not relish the idea of running into an elven border patrol.<p>

Sliding down the steep dune, Siesta slowed to a stop at the bottom next to Montmorency. "I didn't see much of anything around, save a rock formation in the distance. We should be safe to move." Though Siesta tried to keep her tone positive, her eyes clouded with worry when she caught Montmorency's clenching hand.

Quickly waving off the worry, Montmorency stated, "I'm fine, just help me out here." With an order to act on, Siesta let her worry drop in favor of slinging Montmorency's free hand over her shoulder.

With a walking stick in one arm and Siesta supporting the other, Montmorency once more began the trek. The going was slow through sand, but the two pressed on. Through the wind and the sun, they pressed on. Through exhaustion, worry, and pain they continued to march. With the sun halfway through its descent, they stopped for a break.

Siesta drank as much water as she dared from her waterskin. Though Montmorency could pull water from the air to fill it, the task was more difficult in the dry atmosphere of the desert. Whatever exertion Siesta could spare the ailing blonde was worth a little thirst. For her part, the other girl held a grief seed to her soul gem, purifying it for the second time in as many days. A dark expression fell over Montmorency's face, eliciting Siesta's worried question, "It's not supposed to darken so fast, is it?" Siesta held out the waterskin to Montmorency with a compassionate worry in her eyes.

When Montmorency held her hand up to reject the water, a spark of panic flared within Siesta and she made to object. Yet before Siesta could speak, Montmorency shook her head and explained. "The poison on Bleu's blade, I think it was necrotic." Montmorency tapped her heart for emphasis, "Even with the reagents Romalia took from me, I doubt there's much I could do." Worry and confusion played across Siesta's furrowed brow. Knowing she needed to simplify things, Montmorency plainly said. "My stomach has stopped working. Eating or drinking will just make things worse." The fear in Siesta's eyes reaffirmed Montmorency's decision to hide the full details. Telling the maid-turned-familiar that the majority of her organs had ceased to function would only distract her. For once, she was glad that she didn't technically need this body to live. "Here, help me up." Montmorency put the maid into action before her words could be questioned more.

Biting down on her worries, Siesta helped Montmorency up and the two once more resumed their trek. With each passing hour, the rock formation in the distance grew closer and the sun fell further. A flicker of hope was shared between the two when Montmorency's faint link continued to point toward the shelter. Perhaps their friends were camping there? The thought was hopelessly optimistic, but even Montmorency wanted to believe that they were within reach of their goal.

The sun was just beginning to set when the two arrived at the edge of the formation. Sand lazily blew over the smooth boulders and spires of stone. Leaning on her walking stick, Montmorency looked about the twisting shadows cast by the formation for any sign of life. Much to her worry, she found the opposite of her goal.

Bones bleached pearl white were scattered about the sands, adorned in ruined armor and clutching weapons now useless to them. "What happened here?" Siesta wondered aloud as she approached a skeleton and bent down to investigate.

Close behind, Montmorency looked over Siesta's shoulder. "There's no rust." She noted with caution. Indeed, despite the obvious damage the armor had suffered, there was not a hint of rust on either the sword beside the remains or on the armor itself. The bones _looked _old, but the fact that they hadn't been buried by sands and the lack of rust spoke otherwise. Beyond that, there was a crest upon the skeleton's helm that Montmorency recognized. Pointing with her walking stick, she informed the maid, "He is… _was_ Gallian." Furrowing her brow, Montmorency puzzled over the mystery.

"Miss Montmorency," Siesta informed with a wary voice, "I think you should look at that." Spurred by the caution in her companion's voice, Montmorency traced the maid's pointing finger to a gap in the rock formation. There, previously hidden by the towering rocks lay a crashed airship. Though the ship's mast was splintered and leaning at an odd angle, the Gallian flag atop it still flapped in the desert breeze.

Though she tried her best, Montmorency couldn't stifle the growing unease within her. "We should keep moving." Siesta was tired from travelling, and Montmorency herself was in no shape to fight. If there were Gallians about, they were best avoided; Montmorency had an oddly familiar worry prickling the hair on the back of her neck. "Whatever killed these Gallians might not have been the others. It could be something worse." And whatever it was could still be around.

With Siesta once more supporting her, Montmorency pressed after the ethereal link she felt on the edge of her senses. Against her better judgment, that feeling led Montmorency toward the rock formation and a cave cloaked in shadows. That odd prickling feeling grew stronger with each step toward the cave. Though Montmorency could scarcely see more than a few feet within the pitch black cavern and the entrance leaked with ominous danger, the magical girl paid it all no mind.

No, for as Montmorency approached, she instinctively knew what was before her. Just as she had always known how to swing her hammer, she _knew_ what this place was. Reaching out her hand, Montmorency pressed against the barrier. An intricate pattern of mirrors and pearl white columns faded into sight just before them. Beside Montmorency, Siesta wondered, "What is this…?" She trailed off, marveling at the sight that was both eerily beautiful and innately alien.

Gulping, Montmorency words burned themselves forever into her memory. "It's a witch's barrier."

* * *

><p>AN: Before anyone calls plot hole I remember that the Cardinal checked Cattleya and said the blood corruption was gone. For those who remembered, kudos. For those who remembered and were ready to shout plot hole, bad reader! Bad! I want y'all to say it with me now. Cattleya... is an idiot.

Now, I know she is shown to be wise(ish in my opinion) at points in canon, but I hope I have accurately shown that she is a feeler before a thinker. Unless helping someone requires thought, her mind defaults to off mode. i.e. She sees Jeanette drink her blood and knows blood corruption is transferable. She doesn't really get how healed she is, and even if she remembered the Cardinal's words, the slightest chance would still be enough for her to act as she did.

Ehem.


	22. Chapter 22: Newborn

A/N: Sorry for the delay. Bonus though, next chapter is done and in editing.

**Chapter 22: Newborn**

_Gulping, Montmorency's words burned themselves forever into her memory. "It's a witch's barrier."_

*******************Earlier*****************************

Louise clenched and released her grip, anxiously fidgeting in tandem with her impatient breaths. As she paced back and forth across the sand, she shot glances at the rest of her companions. Id sat atop the sand dune, keeping watch for elven patrols across the desert before them. Saito had taken Colbert aside for help with something stupid, she figured. At least Colbert was keeping the one with a shorter fuse than even herself busy. Though of course that left Louise to stew on her own worries as she looked to where Sylphid sat with Charlotte. The Princess whispered something and stroked her familiar's scales, coaxing the anxious dragon. "Charlotte," Louise spoke; spurred by her nervous heart, "Could you hurry Sylphid up?" She tried and failed to keep her tone polite.

After soothing the dragon once more with an unintelligible whisper, Charlotte turned to Louise and said, "No," as if that explained everything. Louise bit back the ill words threatening to leave her mouth.

Luckily, there was another person there to help. From where she lay in the sand, basking in the sun's rays, Kirche called out sweetly, "Elaborate, dear Charlotte. Knowing the reason will calm Louise." The Zerbst knew she had irked both parties and turned her head to smile sweetly at them.

Before Louise could condemn the sunbathing Zerbst, Charlotte spoke up. "Spirits more active here. Sylphid needs time to pick out the smell." Though still barren, the words were enough to sate Louise for the time being.

Kirche sat up and shook the sand out of her hair. "Louise," She waved lightly at the Valliere, "Come over here." She patted the sand next to her, gesturing for Louise to sit. Taking a breath to ease herself, Louise relented and sat down next to her. After a moment, the redhead spoke, "That isn't helping." Her tone was neutral rather than chastising, "Sylphid's sense of smell is magically assisted by spirits and we just entered the Elven borderlands." This of course Louise knew, but nevertheless, she could not ease her restlessness.

Kirche spoke up once again when Louise made to object, "Look at her, Louise." Following Kirche's gaze, Louise looked upon the young dragon. "Five people is a lot for a dragon to carry, especially one as young as Sylphid. She needs this time to rest." Louise swallowed her words.

Louise knew the Zerbst girl was right, but even still, she could not calm herself. Thoughts of the ones missing bubbled within her mind; disturbing any peace before it could be gained. Closing her eyes, Louise gripped at her emotions and began to push them down. Right now she needed to be calm, she was only hindering the others with her stress. Slowly her heart began to fall into stillness. Yet before she could finish, Louise's efforts were met with resistance. _"Stop that." _Id's tail swished above as it spoke to Louise privately. _"I have plenty of data to sort through already."_ Louise looked to her familiar in a moment of hesitation. If she wanted to press the issue she would be forced to admit she was having trouble handling her emotions. Just when had Id become her crutch?

Though Kirche didn't know what was being said between Louise and her familiar, she knew they were speaking as soon as Louise turned to Id. From the dejected look in Louise's face, Kirche could only guess, but regardless of the why, the solution remained the same. Wrapping one arm around Louise, Kirche pulled the slender girl close to her side. "I never expected the Zero to turn into such a fine leader. Things may be tough Louise, but I believe you'll see us through." Rubbing Louise's shoulder, Kirche did her best to cheer the somber girl up.

Eyes downcast, Louise rebuffed the praise. "Some leader I am. Tiffania and Cattleya captured, Siesta is missing, and Montmorency could be dead for all I know." Sheffield was constantly one step ahead of her. Even when she bull-rushed the Pope's estate, Sheffield and her forces had already slipped inside. The commotion that rescue had caused no doubt only assisted in hiding the vile woman.

"Ah," Kirche softly spoke, "Montmorency is the root of it then. You're still beating yourself up for leaving her behind." Louise managed to cast a sidelong glance at the Zerbst. "She's been with you since the beginning of all this." Kirche smirked and half chuckled, "You're a lot like Charlotte, you know, so I'd guess that makes me like Montmorency." Louise's brow furrowed at the comparison, but made no move to interrupt.

Knowing further explanation was needed, Kirche looked off to the horizon. "Back in the academy, when we first met, I thought you and I were a lot alike, you know?" Kirche shrugged, "Both the youngest daughters of grand families, both a stain on their reputation, both simply a burden to be married off." Casting a glance at Louise, Kirche took a breath before continuing, "I have eight elder sisters. Every single political alliance my father wanted had already been secured by the time I came of age. So even marrying me off was a chore for him." Kirche remembered bitterly when she had realized just how useless she was, and what she had turned to. "Around the time he was in talks with some lowly merchant I began my 'rebellious phase' as he called it. I dallied with men, paid for whatever I pleased on his credit, and generally acted like a vapid airhead." Despite the dour memories, Kirche still enjoyed the blush on Louise's cheeks when the girl thought of her 'dallying.'

Turning back to the horizon, Kirche recalled the academy, "So after I turned from a useless burden to a _disgraceful_ useless burden, my father had me shipped off to Tristain. There, I met you." Kirche shook her head with regret.

"You know, at first I wanted to be your friend." This raised an eyebrow from Louise. She had plenty of sour memories of Kirche in school, and few if any pleasant ones. Regardless of Louise's doubt, Kirche pressed on, "I was keen on the idea of writing home to my father about my Valliere friend." The Zerbst smirked, even now, at the fury that would bring her old man. "But then I saw your grand failures and realized how different we were. While I had been shuffled off and hidden out of sight," Kirche gestured to the Valliere, "You, a failure in magic, were in Tristain's own famed academy of magic. Despite everything, your family was still supporting you." Kirche's eyes fell to the sand below, ashamed of her jealousy, "I watched you try and try again despite everyone's jeers. I waited for you to be pulled from school, but you remained and just tried harder." Letting herself pause, Kirche took a breath before recalling the worst, "I hated you so much for it. I had every boy in school wrapped around my finger and I was one of the best mages in our class, but I couldn't help but be jealous of you."

Louise had no words. Never once had she imagined that _Kirche_ of all people was jealous of her. The redhead met Louise's gaze, "I bet you're wondering where all this leads. Well, I needed you to understand the root of my jealousy. You were trying to make good on the trust your family placed in you; you had purpose where I had none. Then, near the end of our first year, I met Charlotte."

Kirche's gaze turned upon the Princess tending to her dragon. "It was a bumpy first meeting, but we became fast friends." The redhead smirked remembering their less-than-friendly first interactions. "It wasn't long before I found out about the missions Joseph kept forcing her to undertake. They were dangerous enough for Charlotte to tell me to stay away, but of course I was too stubborn for that and butted in anyways." Smirking, Kirche shook her head, "Back then, I didn't know why, but those missions were the most important thing in the world to me. I almost died several times, but I never felt so alive." Turning to Louise, Kirche impressed her point upon the other girl, "It wasn't the rush of danger or the thrill of combat that I loved so much. No, it was because I was _helping_ someone. I was supporting Charlotte, my friend, with everything that I had."

Looking into Louise's eyes, Kirche's gaze hardened, "I could see it in Montmorency too. That loyalty formed on the foundation of purpose. She, like me, would charge through anything to get back to the one we care for. So," Kirche's face softened and she placed a hand upon Louise's head. "Just believe in that muscle head. I doubt even death would hold her back." With a wink Kirche added, "And until she's back, just rely on me. Supporting is my specialty after all."

Louise's heart, tumbling since the failed rescue, finally began to settle. It felt stupid now that she thought about it, Montmorency had trusted her fully throughout this entire mess. It only made sense to return the favor. Though her inner peace was weak, Louise greeted it all the same and faintly smiled. "Thank you, Kirche." Closing her eyes, Louise let the worst of her stresses leak out of her.

"Ah," Kirche softly pulled Louise once more to her side, "Any time, fearless leader."

"Most interesting, indeed." Colbert's inquisitive voice fell upon the fragile moment like a brick. "Girls," He called as he walked over with Saito in tow. "If I could borrow you for a moment, Miss Zerbst?" Kirche turned to look at the oblivious professor and the musket ball he held in his hand.

Kirche released Louise as she broke away and the two stood up to meet the professor. "Tactful," Kirche dryly remarked, eliciting a confused look from the man. She shook her head, "What did you need professor?"

After a moment's hesitation, the professor disregarded whatever social misstep he had taken in favor of the intriguing item in his hand. Dropping the musket ball in the sand, Colbert asked politely, "If you would, Miss Zerbst, please melt that lead ball for me." Kirche glanced once to where Saito stood contemplatively and then back to the Professor and his ball. Shrugging, Kirche withdrew her wand and pointed it the piece of ammunition. Flame spouted from the wand on command, yet rather than burn into the ground, the flame dissipated roughly half an inch from the musket ball. Colbert visibly lit up with curiosity, "Most interesting indeed. Please keep it up, Miss Zerbst." Intrigued herself, Kirche poured more willpower through her wand. For a few more seconds, her summoned flame continued to dissipate, then whatever was eating her magic faltered and the field fell.

An academic herself, Louise waited for Kirche to stop before looking from the now red hot musket ball to Saito. Gesturing, Saito explained, "The enchantment on the pistol Eleanor gave me had failed, but then it had no problem piercing enchanted plate armor and that magical rock armor the man used back at the Pope's estate. Lastly," he flicked the omamori around his neck, "Bleu tried to run me through with a blade of wind, but this stopped it." He let the explanation hang for Louise to come to the same conclusion herself.

After a moment's thought, Louise realized it, "You think when Tiffania tried to enchant your bullets she actually succeeded." That... Louise was honestly surprised the half-elf had managed what she herself had written off as impossible.

Saito nodded as he retrieved more ammunition and held his hand out, offering a few of his remaining shot, "They could come in handy, if you want one." With only so many left he wanted to save a few as trump cards, but he would not deny his companions that same tool.

Such consideration was quickly rejected however, as Louise raised her hands in refusal quite quickly. "No thank you. When we transform, our soul changes shape with magic. I'd rather not even test what a dispel-enchanted shot will do to that." Dispelling one's soul... now there was a morbid thought.

Turning to the only non-magical girl, Saito looked to Colbert. Shaking his head, the professor refused as well, "My square class spells rely on holding fire close to the body, I'm afraid keeping one on my person could prove detrimental." Though Colbert offered a kind smile in thanks, Saito ignored it.

The boy instead replaced all but one of the shot into his ammunition pouch and then tucked the remaining shot into his omamori. The silent boy's hand lingered on the keepsake for a moment. Louise knew what was on the boy's mind. "Saito," she spoke with care, "We'll get her back." Though Saito remained silent, he nodded before once more retreating into himself.

Sensing growing discomfort, Kirche broke the tension before the silence could overwhelm them. "Professor," She began with mild teasing, "With the church after you just as much as the rest of us, we aren't about to cut you to the wind. There is no need to puff out your chest." Really, the man was intelligent, clever, and a bit cooky, but one of the elite few to reach square class magic, he was not.

Colbert paused and adjusted his glasses before glancing between Miss Zerbst and the equally disbelieving Miss Valliere. While he had told the two of his part during the rescue, he supposed he had worked rather hard to appear harmless to his one time students. "A demonstration then." Colbert spoke, knowing that seeing was believing. Chanting, he summoned forth his flame snake once more and burned it into the sand before him. Instantly the ground melted into glass, a feat not easily achieved even by a triangle mage like Miss Zerbst. Even the composed Louise had to pause for a moment to reevaluate her teacher. "I left the military life behind me long ago for the peace of teaching." Suddenly, Louise remembered all those times Colbert would talk about peaceful applications of fire magic. Had he been trying to convince himself as much as his students?

Whatever questions or concerns Louise had faltered when Sylphid 'kyuued' and hopped up; completely destroying the somber mood. Charlotte patted her familiar and turned to the others, "We have a direction."

* * *

><p>"Why would humans <em>choose<em> to have legs like these?" Sylphid, now transformed once more into a human, complained yet again. Shaking the sand out of her sandal once more, she replaced it upon her foot and scuttled after Charlotte. "Big sister, can't we just fly?" Sylphid looked to the sparse few clouds above and fantasized about all the updrafts to be found in such a hot desert.

Charlotte paid her familiar little mind, knowing that if she gave the child any ground the complaining would only grow. "No." Shielding her eyes, Charlotte looked to the sky as well; though her purpose was more to guess at the time rather than to fantasize.

Bringing up the rear, Kirche called out, "Elaborate, dear." Kirche's singsong tone warned Charlotte that she could soon have two annoyances if she didn't relent.

Taking a breath to steady her anxiety, Charlotte explained, "Elven borderlands mean elven patrols." Glancing meaningfully at her transformed familiar Charlotte pointed out, "Dragons stick out." Though Sylphid huffed in childish stubbornness she did relent and quiet down.

From the front of the progression, Louise held her tongue. Honestly, she did want to take Sylphid's suggestion and fly there. Based on the dragon's description of cloth, wood, and strange wind magic lingering with Cattleya's scent, Louise guessed Sheffield had taken her captives to an airship. If they were traveling by airship there was no way to catch them on foot. _"Do you think we should fly?" _Louise tried to reign in her impatience as she privately questioned the familiar upon her shoulder.

Id kept its eyes skyward, "_That depends,_" After a pause the incubator suggested, _"Have you considered trying to contact Bidashal? An elf's help in elven lands could be useful."_ Without any special way to remain unnoticed, flying would likely lead to elven interaction. If Louise wanted that, there should be no problem.

Though the idea of an elven ally seemed appealing, Louise shook her head. _"Every time we blindly trust someone we always get stabbed in the back." _Id conceded that point. For all Louise's hatred of deception, humans seemed well practiced in the skill. "_Besides,_" Louise continued, "_As powerful as Sheffield is, she won't risk a fight with elves. Her destination must be close to the border._" If that was right, Louise was hoping to come upon the woman while she was embarked. For once, they might get the drop on Sheffield. It was certainly about time.

Id's tail swished against Louise hair, alerting her to its impatience. _"Perhaps. If Sylphid begins to lose the trail, I suggest reviewing your decision."_

Though Louise agreed with the advice, the fact remained Id was impatient. Something worth worrying over or at the very least investigating. "_What is it?_" She tentatively questioned.

Id paused to flick its tail once before deciding to reply, "_The memories of your Founder suggested that the elven government had at least indirect contact with incubators through their liaison Sasha._" Louise nodded, remembering the images from the mirror. "_Perhaps they know what became of this world's incubators. For there to be zero active or passive signals means every physical shred of every single incubator had to be destroyed. Such an improbability borders on impossible._" Again the familiar's tail swished with vehemence.

Now going down the slope of a dune, Louise did her best to keep steady as she replied, "_You think someone wished them all dead?_" If something impossible were to be made possible, a wish seemed required after all.

Id shook its head and replied in what Louie _swore_ was a condescending tone, "_A desire like that would be classified as a curse and thus the desire would not be fulfilled_." The moment's pause confirmed Louise's suspicion, "_Did you really think we would not have a plan in case some human wished us all dead?_"

Clenching her jaw, Louise replied as she once more began to walk along the side of a dune, "_So what then, couldn't they have just died out? You certainly are prone to making enemies._" She herself had considered killing the familiar in the past.

Again Id shook its head, "_Every platform can asexually reproduce and make necessary modifications to the next body. I have already adjusted my own egg to counter the Windalfr's signal. If even one Incubator deposited their egg after whatever purge you suggest started, then they would have repopulated by now._" With what Louise interpreted as a snide flick of its tail, Id added, "_Do not forget that our technology is many, many years beyond your own._"

Though Louise initially wanted to snap at the irritating beast, she noted a better avenue of attack. "_Wait, you're pregnant?_" Louise suppressed the mischievous grin growing on her face.

Id's tail stilled, but answered nevertheless. "_Not by your definition. All Incubator platforms keep a dormant egg at the ready. Unfortunately, without contact from my world, I will not be able to create a new consciousness for it, let alone activate and deposit it._"

"_My word,_" Louise replied after disregarding her familiar's explanation. "_Before I thought you were just old and grumpy. Now I realize you are an old, irate, and pregnant lady. No wonder you don't deal with emotions well._" Louise's grin broke free of her suppression as Id's tail began to swish back and forth with vehemence.

Thoroughly annoyed with its master, Id vainly tried to appeal to reason. "_Stop applying human standards to me. I am old only by your species' lifespan, having a dormant egg at the ready is more comparable to a chicken and I am genderless; you... You malfunctioning drone._" Though frustrated, Id was quite pleased at its first attempt to formulate an insult.

Sadly, in the realm of name-calling Louise was the master, "_Oh ho? If you're so mad shall I set you down?_" She reached up to grab the familiar in jest.

Not sensing the trap, Id's tail flicked indignantly, "_Do not be foolish. My eyes and ears are many times more advanced than you humans. We agreed it would be best for me to focus on detecting any enemies._" Just because Louise was one again sparking difficult to control emotions Id wasn't about to let its performance suffer as a result.

As Louise knew that response was coming, she responded with a purr of victory, "_Too bad about that nose though_." She grinned ever more when id stilled.

Id turned to Louise and momentarily abandoned its sentry duty, "_That dragon's olfactory sense is magically assisted. No matter how advanced the nose, it should not be able to smell what isn't there._"

Louise just nodded and patronized, "_Fair enough, I apologize._" Then, pausing just long enough for Id to huff and turn back to the sky, Louise added, "_One should be careful with Old, irate, pregnant, and jealous ladies after all._"

Id stilled once more before replying with a flick of its tail. "_You are a bully_."

* * *

><p>Cattleya moved her arms about as best as the limiting chains would allow. It was getting harder and harder to relieve the stiffness in her joints as time passed. The chained Valliere paused when she heard the door lock click open a moment before it swung wide to reveal Jeanette. "Good... afternoon?" Cattleya guessed at the time.<p>

Jeanette replied as she closed the cell door behind her, "Close enough." Then, turning to her captive she asked, "I literally just got back from setting a trap for your sister, are you going to keep up this happy-go-lucky charade even now?" Despite the fact that Jeanette had yet to detect any deception in the other girl, she refused to accept the positivity of her captive as real.

Tilting her head, Cattleya thought for a moment before asking, "If I hate you will it change anything?"

Jeanette quirked an eyebrow and leaned against the door, keeping well out of reach of the beast of a woman. "Not really." She honestly replied.

It was Cattleya's turn to look at the other with mild confusion, "Then why bother wasting effort on hate?" The captive then continued in somewhat of a ramble, "At least if I'm nice to you I can do some good. Besides," Cattleya looked down to the incredibly plain off-white shirt and long skirt she was wearing. "You got me new clothes." Tilting her head, Cattleya realized, "Was it hard putting them on?" Cattleya was actually fairly used to being dressed by others, but she was usually awake to assist them.

Rather than tackle the oddities of the woman head on, Jeanette moved to what she came for. "I had some of your blood tested, you aren't contagious. There isn't even a trace of you ever having had blood corruption." When Cattleya sighed with relief, Jeanette only pressed impatiently, "So what you did was useless. You wasted your one chance to escape on a useless gesture to an _enemy_." Her voice was tainted with frustration and repressed anger as she watched Cattleya's resolve to falter.

Rather than fall to despair, Cattleya let out half a sigh, "Even if it didn't have any effect, I don't think trying to help someone is ever useless." Though Jeanette wanted to snap at the idiotic woman, Cattleya's expression falling slightly calmed her, "It's just..." Cattleya trailed off halfheartedly.

Sensing weakness, Jeanette steadied herself and bid, "Just?"

With a slight blush, the pinkette relented, "Siesta took my first kiss while I was unconscious and my second was completely unromantic." First kisses never went like that in her books! It was thoroughly disappointing.

Jeanette found her frustration replaced by vicarious embarrassment, "You're an odd one, you know that?"

Cattleya huffed at the teasing, "I should hope so. I spent most of my life bedridden so if I was normal that would be truly abnormal, wouldn't it?"

Jeanette surprised herself when she suppressed a genuine chuckle. After a pause she relented weakly, "You have a point." Then, as silence fell between them, Jeanette asked with soft reservation, "Blood corruption... did it hurt?"

Leaning against the wall as much as the chains would allow, Cattleya mellowed as the memories came to her. "It did, but I got used to it. What truly hurt was being my own cage." The ever positive woman's face faltered, "Not being able to run or play was hard as a child. Even going out to sit in the garden was a supervised task." Closing her eyes, Cattleya focused on the good memories, "After Louise healed me and I ran for the first time..." Once more the woman's smile returned to life as she remembered the wind on her cheeks. She had no words to express the wonderful memory of that sensation."I can never repay her for that alone."

Jeanette studied her enraptured captive, "Your sister truly cares for you." Cattleya opened her eyes to meet Jeanette's just before the purple-haired woman let her gaze fall. "Damien, Bleu, and... and Jack are my half-brothers." Rolling her hand in an explaining gesture, Jeanette clarified, "Different servant mothers, same man-whore of a noble father." Feeling a strange melancholic grin rising to her face, she shook her head ruefully, "Jack got us together after our father stopped supporting us. Said we had to look out for one another."

As her grin faltered, Jeanette remembered the early days of barely scraping by, "It was tough at first, making money as mercenaries. Only Damien had gotten any real training with his magic, we all just had to piece together what we could." She still fondly remembered the three eldest sitting around as a seven year old Damien instructed his elder siblings like a tiny professor. "As time passed, we got stronger and jobs became easier, but we also changed. Bleu became obsessed with his stories and Damien got cold. I think only Jack was able to keep us together. Now, though..." Jeanette faltered. Now she didn't know if she could hold her remaining siblings together.

When it became clear that Jeanette wasn't going to continue, Cattleya spoke up. "Was that why you were so mad? Because you were grieving?" Jeanette hummed a muted confirmation. "He must have been a good man, to be missed so much."

With a force of will, Jeanette repressed the urge to stew on the memories of her brother and neutrally replied, "He was." Despite her conviction, Jeanette kept her eyes averted.

"Tell me about him." Cattleya's honest request stilled Jeanette. Faltering, the would-be torturer looked up to meet Cattleya's smile.

Feeling her resolve weaken, Jeanette nodded and began. "Well, I first met him when I was four..."

* * *

><p>Though it was already afternoon, the desert sun still roasted the sand about Louise and her compatriots. Whenever they rested, Charlotte was able to conjure up a cool breeze for relief, but that served only as a brief reprieve. Now that they had stopped once more, Louise wanted to ask Charlotte for some more "magic AC" as Saito called it, but her better judgment cautioned her against wasteful uses of energy for now.<p>

In the shadow of a larger dune, Louise laid upon the sand with Saito to her right. The boy held his spyglass to his eye and studied the rock formation ahead. The slight trail of smoke beyond the rocks worried Louise, but she wasn't about to waste the time circling around when she had an invisible scout to check ahead for them. "Any problems?" Louise whispered, keeping one eye to the sky. With only a single lazy cloud breaking up the bright blue sky, she doubted any airships were going to sneak up on them, but that was no reason to relax while Id was scouting ahead.

Saito watched as the white puff of a familiar trotted about the formation; disappearing behind boulders and arches only to reemerge elsewhere. "Besides your dick of a familiar?" His joke was met with silence. "Nothing..." The boy trailed off.

Once the initial scouting was done, Id skittered across the sand back to Louise. "_There are signs of a battle - the smoke is coming from a downed Gallian airship. However, there are no bodies around. Cattleya's and Tiffania's scent is coming from within a cave that seems to delve underground for some distance._" Id scanned the sky as it continued, "_Did you want me to investigate the cave?_"

Biting her lower lip, Louise chewed the thought over before shaking her head. "_No, I'd rather not chance you getting controlled again somehow_." Not to mention if Id got too far, she couldn't save it should it be detected somehow.

Id's tail flicked. "_I will reiterate, I have adjusted this platform to compensate for any future external control attempts._"

Glancing at her familiar, Louise replied, "_I still don't want to risk you._" Id looked away and flicked its tail, but made no further arguments. Louise tapped Saito's shoulder and slid down the dune with him to the others below. "Listen, there's a chance Tiffania and Cattleya are up ahead. Splitting up didn't work last time, so we all stick together and hammer through anything that stands between us and them." Louise looked to each to her companions. "I don't know what's waiting for us, so if you want to sit this one out and stay here, speak up."

As expected, no one took Louise up on her offer, but she made it regardless. She didn't like the idea of pressuring anyone into running into an unknown situation. Taking a breath, she readied herself. "Sylphid, don't transform until I give the okay. Sheffield shouldn't know you're a dragon, so I'd like to surprise her if we need a quick getaway." Her orders given, Louise waved the rest after her and left for the rocks.

The trek from their hiding place to the rock formation was filled with tension. Even as Louise forced herself into a calm state, she still kept waiting for a trap to spring. The tall spires and twisting arches of the approaching rocks cast ominous shadows before the group, yet they pressed on through. The light crackle of a flame beyond echoed through and around the rocks as Louise stepped within the border of the strange formation. Looking about, she searched for any hidden enemies, yet found only barren rock and muted shadows. A small gap between spires allowed her to spy the mast of the downed airship and the thin smoke escaping skyward. Just what had happened here?

Louise's silent question was answered as the cave Id had mentioned came into view. At once, several mounds of sand grew in all directions, pushed up by something underneath them. Even before the figures were visible, Louise instantly knew they were surrounded. Falling back to back with the rest, wands, staves, and a pistol were raised in a defensive ring.

Whatever Louise had expected to rise from the numerous mounds, skeletons and half rotted corpses of Gallian soldiers were not on the list. The macabre walking dead still clutched their weathered blades in their undead hands. "Fireball!" Louise called out, her own voice mixed with the spells of the rest and the crack of Saito's musket. Javelins forged of ice shattered skeletons like tinder, three blasts of flame burned deadened flesh to ash, and Saito's shot hit the shoulder of a fresher zombie and toppled it like a puppet with its strings cut.

Yet just before another salvo could be fired, Louise paused as her breath hitched at the sight before her. The shattered remains of Charlotte's targets were cobbled back together by some invisible force and even the bones of the burnt undead reformed into walking skeletons. Only Saito's target remained motionless – a small blessing. A quick count was all it took for Louise to know there were far more enemies than Saito had bullets and more kept rising beyond. Louise's eyes glanced skyward, but then she saw them. The magically animated bones of great dragons were climbing from the sand onto the spires, their wings webbed with a sickly ethereal substance. The sky was no easy escape. Wait... Louise scanned around quickly and realized it. The undead weren't advancing, they had stopped a dozen meters away from the group.

The scrape of bone on rock sounded from within the cave. Louise held up her hand, signaling the rest to hold their fire as her gaze fell on the thin figure exiting the cave. Clad in layers of rotting robes and an assortment of dangling gems, the light itself seemed to shy away from the pearl white bones of the skeleton. Unlike the mindless undead about, Louise could feel the gaze of this one fall upon her. The thing's hollow eye sockets held a glint of curiosity as it slowly looked over Louise's group. "_Are you with the fools from before?_" Its voice was magically conjured and seemed not to emit from the figure's mouth itself. The deep timbre of the being's voice reverberated off the barren bones of the cloaked skeleton as it gestured to one undead bearing a shield with Gallia's standard emblazoned upon it.

Having no reason to lie and plenty reason to stall, Louise replied honestly. "No, although we were tracking some Gallians." Louise's thumb traced the soul gem on her ring finger, fighting over whether she should use some of the magic she had left, if it came to that.

Louise cursed herself when the skeleton noticed even that minor movement. Eyeless gaze falling, it paused and studied the soul gem. "_You are a lich_." It wasn't a question, but a statement. It paused for a moment and waved a hand forward. Some strange wave passed over Louise, tumbling her gut ever so slightly. Once more the skeleton gazed over the group, pausing on Charlotte and Kirche. "_As are you two_." The magical, echoing tone was alien, yet Louise could pick out a faint tinge of emotion in it.

Resisting the urge to glance back at her friends, Louise nodded, "We are… and so are you." Even without her night of research back at the Romalian library, the sentient undead and wandless magic made putting two and two together rather easy.

With another wave of its arm, the lich glanced over its conjured army. Sand parted and the undead turned and plunged back below the desert sands. When all but the undead dragons had disappeared beneath the shifting sands, the lich spoke again, "_We are alone for over two hundred years, then we get two sets of visitors in one day_." The laugh that followed could only be described as maniacal. "_Ehem_," the lich stopped itself, "_That was supposed to be _jovial_. Forgive us, we haven't practiced this speech spell in many years_." Glancing between the three it cared about, the lich strode forward and completely disregarded the tensed combatants before it. Once it stood before Louise, a robed arm rose to reveal a skeletal hand held forth.

After a moment's hesitation Louise steadied herself and accepted the awkward handshake. A quiver of energy probed through her body, stunning her momentarily. "_You_..." The lich trailed off as it released Louise from its grip. "_This is your original body_." Once more, it stated the fact as some sort of revelation. "_You can't be more than a year old_." For once, the lich actually studied the rest of the group, "_Yet you have thralls already_."

Though Louise initially felt anger flare at the insinuation, she hastily corrected, "These are our _friends_, not thralls." With the lich's army tucked away, Louise considered her options as she stalled for time again.

Seemingly startled, the lich turned back to Saito and abruptly kicked him in the shin. "Ack!" The boy cried out in surprise. Derflinger flicked up and decapitated the lich in one stroke as Saito stumbled back.

"_Fascinating_," The disembodied head spoke as its body bent down and picked it up. "_Our apologies, thralls don't have involuntary reflexes_." Ignoring Saito's grumbling and the multitude of foci leveled at it, the lich reattached its head to its body. "_We didn't expect any living being to accept undead until their genocidal religion died out_." Louise felt somewhat miffed at the insult to the religion she was raised with, but let the comment slide, especially given her recent experiences with that religion.

After sizing Louise up once more, the lich spoke, "_I take it you aren't here to ask for our help in studying your new magic. What with the fact that you keep threatening a lifeless body. None of these_," It ran its fingers through the gems, "_are our phylactery_." With an intentional sigh, the lich continued, "_So I'll be nice enough to disregard your poor manners. How can I help you_?"

Stunned a little at the honest question, Louise furrowed her brow, "That's it?" Liches were akin to elves in her childhood boogeymen stories. For one to be so... amicable was rather odd.

Knowing Louise's thoughts well enough, the lich explained, "_When you were human, if another human asked you for help at little to no cost to you, would you not help them?_" At Louise's tentative nod, the lich continued, "_It's the same here. Only rather than dealing with a friendly neighbor, it's more like I'm forced to deal with my neighbor's clumsy toddler. You are rude and walking all over my front yard, but you are only a child so I'll let it slide_."

Still hesitant, Louise decided there was no harm in asking, "We were tracking the Gallians because they captured my sister and another of our group. My sister looks like me, only about her height and build." Louise gestured to the more curvaceous Kirche.

Nodding, the lich confirmed, "_And a half-elf with blonde hair. Yes, they were in separate cells aboard that airship_." Louise's heart jumped at the mention as the lich gestured to the ruined airship. "_We had them taken into the tunnels for healing. The crash injured the half-elf especially. We were going to experiment on them later_-" The lich was once more faced with readied foci and hardened expressions.

"You will do no such thing." Louise warned, already weighing the pros and cons of sending Id ahead to scout the cave.

Reaching forward, it daintily pushed Louise's wand aside. "_Lifeless body, remember_?" Louise's gaze brooked none of the friendliness the lich tried to impart. With another intentional breath to mimic human anxiety, the lich explained, "_Humans kill and dissect orcs, a sentient race that often tries to kill humans_." Pausing at the odd shift in topic, Louise waited for the being to elaborate. "_We do the same thing. Humans tend to attack us whenever they get the chance_."

Explanations or not, Louise wasn't about to back down and let her friends get hurt. "_But no, we won't harm your friends, if it's that important to you_." Though Louise lowered her wand, she kept a spell in mind. Satisfied somewhat, the lich tried to assuage the distrust his words had evidently sparked. "_If they accept you even after your soul's removal we won't harm them_."

Hesitant, Louise asked, "So, can we have them back?" This was too easy. Despite her desire to see Cattleya again, Louise's instincts were telling her something was wrong.

The lich nodded and turned to the cave. "_We'll lead you to them_."

Louise held out a hand to stop Saito as the boy made to step forward. "Bring them out here." Louise paused as the lich turned to her. "I'm… afraid of underground caves." It was a dumb excuse, but not one easily challengeable.

"_Well_," the lich paused, "_That isn't advisable. As we said, they were both injured by the crash. We are healing them below, but for obvious reasons our healing magic isn't the best. Moving them now could prove fatal_." It made sense; too much sense.

Swallowing, Louise glanced to her companions before nodding. "Very well, take us to them so _I_ can heal them." Satisfied, the lich turned and entered its coven.

Biting down, Louise steeled herself and strode forward. _"This is a trap." _The conviction of the telepathic statement faltered the others. Not waiting for them to catch up, Louise continued with the others just a step behind. _"Id, find Cattleya and Tiffania. We'll stall until you do." _Not hesitating in the slightest, Id landed upon the cave floor without a sound and darted beyond the oblivious lich.

The group descended into the domain of the lich, guided by the ethereal blue torches along the cave walls. Kirche was the first to question, _"Are you sure, Louise?"_ Not that she doubted the other girl, but some information would be nice.

Hiding her racing mind behind a smile, Louise replied, "_This is all too convenient and the lich was too ready for us. It _knew_ just what we wanted to hear and just how to respond to my caution. Every time we take something too good to be true it always is._" Ahead, the lich was talking about something or other, but Louise tuned it out, "_My gut says Sheffield is behind this. She's always been a step ahead of us._" As much trouble as Louise had in believing Joseph just happened to have a lich friend, she was going to plan for the worst case scenario this time. "_But Id does smell them, so the lich knows something. We play along until we find them or some clue._"

Not knowing it was being tuned out, the lich ahead kept talking, "_So we told them, 'Good luck, we're behind seven hundred skeletons'_." With a chuckle that sounded slightly less maniacal this time, it turned to find no one laughing. "_We haven't told jokes in centuries, but pity laughs used to be considered polite_." Though it paused at Louise's forced chuckle, the lich pushed open a door and led its guests into an expansive room.

A chill passed through Louise, eliciting a shiver as she stepped through the door. Beside her, Sylphid whined and clung to Charlotte, whispering something into the mage's ear. Damn dragon, use telepathy. Before Louise could question Charlotte, Id's voice filled her mind. "_The estimated probability that this is a trap should be increased. I have passed through several mundane and magical barriers meant to detect invisible entities. It seems my scouting was anticipated._" Though Louise tensed in fear, Id continued to calm her, "_Do not worry. Derecognition goes far beyond simple cloaking and I have upgraded since the Windalfr's subversion. I am still undetected._" Louise wasn't sure if that was simple pride or bold hubris; she hoped for the former.

Taking a moment to scan the room, Louise looked over the rows of books and wooden tables scattered about. Though the work area was carved out of a cave and the walls were still rough stone with numerous short inlets, Louise could still be impressed at the work that had gone into converting the natural cave into an efficient study. As Louise glanced over the large wooden table, she noted the skeletal hamster running in a circular wheel, the piles of books scattered about, then froze at a set of cases. "Those..." Louise's voice left her unbidden in surprise.

Though the cage-like cases were mostly empty, two held within them an item Louise knew well. "_Ah_," The lich replied in earnest. "_You may know them as void stones, but the proper name for them is grief seeds_." Indeed, within two of the cases were grief seeds. One black and muted, ready to clean a soul gem. The other worried Louise as it pulsed with alien power, just like when Id had requested to dispose of the one Saito had involuntarily cleaned. Was a witch going to hatch?

Glancing to Saito, Louise ordered, _"Don't get near it."_ Then she turned back to the lich and tried to keep her face even. "Is it safe? It's pulsing." At the risk of tipping her hand, Louise needed to get a better idea of the possible danger.

The lich just chuckled; believably this time. "_We've had that in stasis for hundreds of years. There is no need to worry, spiritkin_." Louise froze at the term, her eyes snapping to the soulless gaze of the lich. "_We are surprised. Your kind was supposed to be wiped out long ago_." Louise became acutely aware of the lich's gaze studying her body.

Readying herself, Louise ordered, _"Be ready everyone."_ Louise tried to keep herself calm and stall for more time, but Charlotte subtly tapped Louise's ankle with the bottom of her staff. Louise glanced to Charlotte's unwavering gaze and realized it. "_Can anyone hear me?_"There was no answer.

Mind racing, Louise considered giving the attack order, yet just before she did, she felt it. A nagging at her heart as alien emotions flitted into her. This was... Id? Forcing her instinctive resistance away, Louise opened her mind. Smelling the sounds that formed the pictures in her mind felt like rubbing sandpaper across her tongue. Comprehension failed, but as Louise tried to let her mind accept the unfathomable, she could see the images. Pigeons laden with notes flew across the sky, pierced by an arrow each. Below, Sheffield took aim with a bow and shot the carrier pigeons down one after another. Colors swirled and then Id took form; sitting before empty bird cages. The familiar turned to a dog with a scroll in its mouth and the beast ran away, deftly skirting behind the oblivious archer and onward to Louise herself.

"_So_," The lich drew Louise's attention from the visions back to itself. "_Shall we all drop the acts now_?" Louise's eyes narrowed on the lich as the rest of the group scanned about for any danger.

Calm as ever, the lich began. "_Sending the incubator ahead was a smart move, but Brimir developed liches specifically to deal with incubators_." The sound of bone clattering on rock echoed from the tunnel behind. The others readied themselves for battle, but Louise stilled them with a raised hand. Nodding appreciatively, the lich continued, "_They were so interested in the seemingly free, sustainable energy created by us undead that they failed to realize that we had developed counters to their derecognition_." This time, when the lich chuckled, it echoed with dark malice. "_Only the Windalfr could control them, but without that passive defense, they are no harder to catch than a simple rabbit_." The echoes from behind turned thunderous as a multitude of skeletons and zombies poured in, circling around and surrounding the workroom. Then, once the army had settled, the lich proposed, "_Now that I have your incubator, your half-elf, _and_ your sister, shall we talk business_?"

As if to drive the lich's superior position home, a large stone door slid shut with a thunderous thunk, sealing off the workroom from the exit as one last undead stepped through. "Do not suffer the undead. Purge them in the name of the Founder." The deep, tainted voice of the undead Cardinal Torquemada elicited a cringe from Louise.

Once again back to back, Louise's companions shot her glances for guidance. Did they attack – try to push through to the surface? Or did they wait and stall in hope that some opportunity would prevent itself?

Louise received her answer in the form of a vision. Once more, her mind tumbled under the strain, but she could see Id standing beyond an assortment of traps with a series of tracks weaving safely through. Id then looked to the side; following her familiar's gaze, Louise saw an image of the lich blindfolded and holding a stuffed doll replica of Id. Hesitant hope flared within Louise. For now, she needed to buy time.

Steadying her resolve, Louise did her best to seem defeated but resilient "What do you want?" Placing her hand behind her, Louise pushed Charlotte's staff down. Right now she needed to delay a fight as long as possible.

The lich went straight to the point, "_Your body_." Knowing he had his captive audience's attention, the lich continued, "_Spiritkin bodies do not rot. The ability to pass unnoticed through human lands would be quite desirable. Surrender yourself to me, and your friends can go free_." Though the others tensed for a fight, Louise held up her hand to still them. Turning her hardened gaze upon them, Louise stilled any would be heroics.

"_I apologize for the delay." _Louise nearly sighed with relief at the sound of Id's voice. Turning back to the lich, she found her familiar standing in front of the lich and paying the skeleton little attention. _"It seems short range telepathy still works. The jamming signal is coming from Sheffield."_ Louise tuned out whatever ominous speech the lich was ranting through in favor of following Id's gaze to the wall off to the side. "_She is hidden in an alcove there and preparing the sleeping artifact Kirche described_. _She melded through the stone wall, so I suggest catching her before she has a chance to retreat. I have not detected any other enemies." _

Turning back to Louise, Id explained, "_I also discovered Tiffania's and Cattleya's clothes below, it is unlikely they are here._ _Also this,_" Id opened its mouth and a mundane looking metal marble clattered to the floor. "_Is transmitting a signal similar to a soul gem. I assume it is the lich's soul gem equivalent._" The way Id flicked its tail could only be described as prideful. "_I have been sending its consciousness false images, but now would be a good time to act._"

Louise did not need to be told twice. As the lich's gaze fell to the phylactery in surprise, Louise commanded. "_Kirche get Sheffield! Everyone else on the Cardinal. Don't hold anything back. Now!_"

The lich got as far as, "_That's our_-" Before Louise exploded into action. The light of three transformations lit up the dim room. Louise's black energy collided with the phylactery in a second. All around, skeletons, zombies, and even the lich itself crumpled to the ground as the magic that powered them vanished.

Kirche blasted off like a rocket. Fire trailed behind her, pushing her across the room in the blink of an eye. Stone exploded into a cloud of dust and obscured her from view. Only Sheffield's surprised shriek escaped the thunderous crunch of stone buckling under Kirche's strength. The deceased Cardinal Torquemada bellowed and charged toward his mistress. "Do not suffer the undead!"

Colbert's fire roared to life. He had sworn to never kill again, but an undead was not something he needed to hold back against. "Flame Snake!" Fire hot enough to melt sand lanced forward into the charging cardinal, colliding with the thrall's specialized defense. Steam erupted outward as the serpent of flame met the cardinal's water shield. Colbert recalled his snake as Saito leveled his pistol. With the water still coiling around his body, the Cardinal charged two more steps before the wheel of Saito's pistol spun. The once-impenetrable shield shattered into droplets and the undead beast spun under the impact of the musket ball piercing his shoulder.

Even with his arm hanging limply, the cardinal did not stop his charge. Even with Colbert's flame burning away his body, the thrall pressed on. The Cardinal charged through, shouting against the evil of the undead just as the flame faded to reveal Sylphid charging forward. With the spirits coiling around her, Sylphid let her human form drop as scales once again covered her body. Cramped as the dragon was in the cave, Sylphid had plenty of room to spin and slam her tail into the cardinal, launching the man back into the boulder blocking the exit.

Burnt flesh knitting, the Cardinal slowly began to rise. "_Chapter 20: Forest of Snares._" Tabitha called forth the image of Ivaldi turning the orc hunters' own snares against them and a thousand wires of ice wrapped around the cardinal, pinning him to the wall like a bug caught in a spider's web.

The crunch of stone sounded once more and Sheffield came soaring out of the dust cloud like a rag doll. The woman landed with a crunch upon the large wooden table far away from her thrall. "Please, try to run again, plucking you was fun." Kirche's playful voice echoed as she strode out of the smoke and toward her quarry. Panicked, Sheffield scrambled off the table to the stone below. In an instant, Kirche was next to her. A clawed gauntlet wrapped around Sheffield's neck and pulled roughly.

The villain screamed as she was lifted from the stone she sought to escape through. Hoisting her up, Kirche slammed the woman down upon the wooden table. Sheffield's arms, still covered in clinging stone from her meld, flew to her throat in a vain attempt to pry Kirche's iron grip free. Green fire flared to life around Sheffield's bejeweled arm, but Kirche merely closed her free hand around it and crushed the artifact without so much as a flinch. "Agh!" Sheffield cried as the bone beneath cracked under the pressure. "_You!_" She accused, her voice dripping with vile accusation.

Kirche just smiled. "Me." This was a long time coming. Kirche briefly flirted with the idea of ending Sheffield then and there. However, she stilled herself when she felt Louise lay a hand on her arm.

Offering a tempering look to the redhead, Louise ordered the rest. "Make sure the cardinal stays put." Then, nodding to Sheffield, Louise carefully informed, "We need her alive." This woman knew where Cattleya and Tiffania were. Finally, Louise looked to her enemy struggling under Kirche's grip. "Stop him, it's over."

Behind, the cardinal continued to regenerate the wounds inflicted upon him and struggle pitifully against his bonds. Sheffield stopped her own struggling and looked indignation to Louise. "Is it?" The woman smiled, feigning superiority even in this situation.

Said smile faltered when Kirche tightened her grip. "You are out of spies and out of plans. Give up." Kirche's heart wavered with anger. This was the woman who had done so much harm to Charlotte. Never again. Kirche would _not_ allow any more torment to her friends.

With her eyes gleaming like a viper, Sheffield replied with a purr. "Wrong on both counts, my dear." Runes flared to life across Sheffield's brow. Electricity tingled down Kirche's spine and her grip released. Stunned, Kirche could not react before her own arm slammed into Louise, launching the pink haired leader away in a tumbling mess of limbs.

Despite every effort, Kirche's body refused to move as she told it. Though Louise was up quickly with staff leveled, Sheffield clung to Kirche's back. "Louise, I..." Kirche tried to ground out but even her voice was barely her own.

Tracing a finger down her body-shield's cheek, Sheffield purred into Kirche's ear. "Just because I am out of un_willing_ spies doesn't mean I am out of un_witting_ ones." Smiling, Sheffield watched the foci leveled at her for any attack. "Look at them hesitate. They could strike now, but they care for you. They want to _protect_ you." Sheffield edged to the side in tandem with Kirche, making sure to provide no opening.

Everything was wrong – she couldn't force herself to move as she wanted, but her body moved nonetheless. "How?" She ground out, throwing all her will into moving her body. _There!_ It was just a little, be she felt some resistance. Just a little more time and she could...

"How?" Sheffield replied; her voice dripping with superiority. "You would be surprised how artifacts powerful enough to borrow another's senses and control their movement can be small enough to hide in a healing elixir." Kirche's eyes widened, remembering the wound from the manticore and the healing potion she had been given. "Did you really think I would simply help the greatest thorn in my side?" Sheffield reached behind and grabbed what she sought. "Since then, I've watched you all. It was so adorable, all that talk of supporting and being useful when you were the reason I could predict your every move. It was why Bleu knew just how to get into your good graces and how I knew _exactly_ when to kidnap the elf while you all kept the Pope busy." Sheffield's hand pressed into Kirche's own. Though it was hidden from Louise in the cup of Sheffield's hand, Kirche could see the sickly throbbing grief seed pressed to her own soul gem.

Darkness fled from the pulsing grief seed, clouding Kirche's soul with a sickly miasma. _No no no... _Kirche panicked as darkness fell over her heart. She had to fight, to move! There, she moved a little more. She needed to warn Louise, to say something. Throwing all her will into it, Kirche tried to form the words, but only gasps escaped as pain flooded her mind and soul. Was it really so useless? Was _she _really so useless?

Sheffield finally reached the stone wall and backed into it. "Have fun playing decoy, my cute little spy." With that, Sheffield melded into the stone wall and Kirche crumpled to her knees.

Kirche's transformation dropped as the others raced to her. Tears formed at the edges of Kirche's eyes. It was _her _fault. All their failures, everything wrong that had happened. The darkness and guilt pressed in around her as she began to sob. Even now, Sheffield had escaped because of her. Despair blotted out any light, any hope, from reaching Kirche. It was useless. Some support she had turned out to be.

"_Kirche!_"

Charlotte's voice cried on the edge of Kirche's senses as she raced to her best friend. Kirche vaguely looked to her oldest friend, but her clouded eyes remained unfocused.

"_Kirche!_" Louise cried, flying forward, but time had slowed to a crawl. Her mind raced as she saw the sickly black soul gem. If she could just reach Kirche in time, then-!

Looking up with eyes full of tears and a soul tainted with hopelessness, Kirche weakly smiled. She didn't deserve the love of such good friends. They were better off without a burden like her, the one who had continually brought ruin upon them. "I'm so sorry... In the end, I was _**useless**_."

The shattering of Kirche's soul echoed through the fabric of the world. Reality cried and power exploded outward, launching those approaching into the walls around. Charlotte pressed against the whirling power, desperately pushing toward to the fragments of Kirche's soul gem as they formed into a grief seed. "Kirche!" Her shout faltered on the wind, unable to pierce through the torrent of despair.

Stone cracked and the discarded bones of the undead flew about. The air itself split as a labyrinth was born, pushing reality away. There, in the swirling worlds between reality and pure despair, Kirche's lifeless body floated beneath a newly birthed grief seed.

In that whirlwind of twisted grief, Kirche von Zerbst died and a witch was born.


	23. Chapter 23: Catherine the Witch of Other

A/N: Several people said to me that the grief seed could not have tainted Kirche's soul gem. As a general reply I would like to point out that Sheffield is the Mind of God, a void familiar whose specialty is magical artifacts. If you remember when Saito absorbed the grief seed after Charlotte's mother was rescued, Derflinger mentions the Mind of God is meant to regulate that transfer. (Also the flow of darkness is moving out of Grief seed in that scene too.) Much like how the Windalfr can control animals as a side benefit to the magic that allows him to control incubators, the Mind of God's ability to control magical artifacts came from the development of its main function, manipulating grief seeds. (Sorry if this wasn't obvious enough).

Point is I've been hinting stronger and stronger that Brimir developed void magic and the void familiars around magical girls. When the Puella magi rules are bent or changed, ya'll should check and see if void magic is involved.

Chapter 23: Catherine the Witch of Others

"Kirche!" Charlotte called out in denial, pressing through the gusting wind toward the newly-forming grief seed. There had to be something she could do! Some scene from her book that could reverse the nightmare before her! Leaving her reason behind, Charlotte pressed forward.

Merely steps behind, Louise faltered at Id's voice. "_Stop Charlotte. Everyone needs to remain close or the labyrinth will separate you all._" Louise's eyes snapped to Id's unblinking gaze. Frozen, she barely held her footing and looked to Charlotte before her, and then to the others behind.

Without Charlotte's attention, the wires that held the Cardinal weakened enough for the beast of an undead to break free with a cry of rage. "Enemies of the Founder fell before his divine might!" The snares snapped with the crunching of ice. His staff swung up to intercept Sylphid's bite, knocking aside the dragon's head. In one smooth motion, the Cardinal brought his staff up, forming an axehead of spinning water that thrummed even over the screaming air all around. "Torrent Axe!" Spell named, the Cardinal brought his decapitating strike down.

"Partner!" Derflinger warned, flooding Saito with magic just in time. In unison, the two jumped between the strike and the dragon. Derflinger ate the buzz-saw of water instantly, but the solid metal staff behind still came down with all the force of a cannon.

Saito had half a moment to gape in surprise as Derflinger shattered under the force of the blow. Metal shards of his partner scattered about, hanging in midair as time seemed to slow to a still. "Derf?" Any further fears were knocked from Saito as the blow that shattered his sword impacted his chest. His world exploded into pain and he _heard_ the crunch of his own ribs.

Limp as a ragdoll, Saito bounced off Sylphid's neck and sailed loosely through the air. The dragon dove for her savior, catching the boy before he could land on the hard stone floor. Colbert's fire leapt between the Cardinal and his prey, but the undead was already charging away.

As the cardinal fled, Louise remained still. In front, Charlotte pressed onward, toward her dying friend. Behind, Saito's shallow breaths weakened by the moment. _"Louise!" _Id's voice fell upon deaf ears as Louise failed to choose. "_Fine, I will stop her._" Id leapt from Louise's shoulder to the ground. Its fine claws found easy purchase on the stone floor and it ran toward Charlotte.

Before Louise could make her decision, the world shattered like glass. Up and down lost all meaning as vertigo filled Louise's very soul. Pearl white pillars rose from the ground to meet their twins falling from the sky. The great support beams shattered upon one another in a tremendous cacophony of crushing stone. Dust exploded outward, obscuring all view and in that instant, silence crushed out all sound.

As the dust slowly settled, Louise looked upon the alien world around and realized instinctively. This was a witch's barrier.

* * *

><p>All around Louise stood a limitless number of ornate white pillars. Some leaned together in makeshift towers. Others stood tall on their own. From pristine to dilapidated, the world around was a maze-like menagerie of columns rising far above.<p>

Rather than the stone ceiling of the lich's cave or even the great blue itself, a grand mirror served as a sky. Supported by a seemingly infinite number of columns, the cracked mirror shone Louise's own reflection down upon her. The girl nervously looked to the speck sized reflection above, scanning over the expansive cracks in the glass-like ceiling that threatened to fall at any moment.

So caught up in worrying about what was above, Louise started when she noticed the reflection repeated itself. That meant... Looking down, Louise realized even the ground was an expansive mirror cracked and on the verge of shattering. The very sight of so many repeating reflections cast a wave of vertigo induced nausea over her.

Shaking her head clear, Louise clamped down on her tumbling heart and looked around. Though not a soul was in sight, she was not without options. "_Id? Are you alright?_" Her mind reached out for her familiar.

Not missing a beat, Id replied. "_Currently, but that status is subject to change._" Id's usual monotone was laced with urgency. "_Charlotte is currently attempting to reason with the witch._" Then, after a brief pause, Louise heard Id's command to Charlotte. "_That won't work! You must fight or you will-_" A shot of pain flitted through the empathic link between Louise and her familiar, then nothing.

Heart skipping a beat, Louise asked. "_Id?_" Only silence was returned to her.

Without Id, Louise examined the barrier all around her. Fearing for Id, Saito, the others, and... and Kirche, Louise grit her teeth and focused. She had to move. She had to try and find somebody. Hopefully some of the others were together.

* * *

><p>Summoning all his will, Colbert clamped down on his spinning head and looked around. Though his one time students were nowhere to be seen, the man breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted Sylphid amidst some pillars, cradling Saito under her scaled belly protectively. Sigh catching at the sight of the unconscious boy, Colbert hurried over. "Sylphid! Is Saito...?" His fearful question faltered at the sight of a shallow breath rising. The boy yet still lived.<p>

However long that would be. Colbert grimaced at the sight of the shards of the boy's own sword embedded in his chest and arms. This was not the first time Colbert cursed his magic. At best, he could cauterize the wounds, but that was risky at best. The metal shards were holding in the blood for the moment and cauterization would do nothing for any internal injuries. Now more than ever, Colbert wished he had even the slightest talent for water magic.

Sylphid looked between the boy beneath her and Colbert. The professor saw the worry and anxiety mixed in the dragon's gaze. Of course, she did not want to abandon the comrade who had saved her, but she instinctively needed to go to her master's side. At that thought, Colbert realized that with the empathic link and enhanced sense of smell, Sylphid might be able to navigate the world around to find Charlotte. The girl's healing alone might be enough to stabilize Saito and Louise might be there as well.

Any further plans of moving the boy vanished when heavy footsteps echoed from behind him. Those plodding stomps could belong to only one party. Grimacing, Colbert turned to face the Cardinal as the undead stepped out from a forest of columns.

"Even faced with such enemies, the Founder offered peace." Colbert's eyes narrowed at the odd use of scripture. As the Cardinal had yet to make a move, Colbert hesitated and followed the abomination's shifting gaze to the ground. There, the cardinal looked to a few fragments of metal of to the side. _Fragments of the lich's phylactery! _Colbert put two and two together quickly. As soon as he was free, the Cardinal had fought toward those fragments. No doubt his mistress had some use for them; and whatever that was, it could not be good.

Swallowing, Colbert made up his mind. "Sylphid, protect Saito." Fighting the Cardinal would be hard enough without having to keep an eye on Saito. Reaching down, Colbert retrieved the unconscious boy's pistol. One shot was all he had. Mentally, Colbert remembered the range of the dispelling shot's aura and mentally mapped out where to keep his own fire away from.

Striding forward, Colbert began chanting. Recognizing Colbert's intent, the cardinal called forth his own magic. A tendril of water lanced toward the phylactery pieces. Yet before the magical appendage could grasp its prize, steam erupted as fire met water. An instant later, Colbert unleashed a second blast of fire to melt the Cardinal's target. Yet just as before, steam erupted when the Cardinal's water intercepted the attack.

Mind racing, Colbert evaluated his opponent. At long range he seemed to have the advantage, though that was somewhat negated by water naturally countering fire. At close range, Colbert knew he wouldn't last long, but he had never fired a pistol before, let alone attempted to do so with his offhand. Any chance of a hit would need to be a point blank shot.

Colbert's mind was made up for him when the Cardinal dashed toward the phylactery. Water arced high and over Colbert toward Saito, but the professor had too much experience to be fooled by such a diversion. He heard the sound of water impacting dragon scales as he raced to meet the Cardinal head on.

The undead man met soldier-turned-teacher head on. Water coiled into a trident head and thrust toward the chanting fire user. Still without a spell ready, Colbert continued his long chant and ducked. A red line appeared on Colbert's cheek as the sharpened prong of water grazed him through his evasive maneuver. Flicking his staff up, Colbert struck the side of the Cardinal's knee. Even at such a weak point, the Cardinal remained firm as a rock, yet Colbert wasn't finished. Stepping in, Colbert shifted the edge of his staff completely behind the Cardinal's knee and used the closer leg as leverage point. Strong as he was, the Cardinal's stance faltered as his weight bearing leg was swept from beneath him.

Though he fell, the Cardinal caught himself with one arm and swept his staff out with the other. Trident forming into a scythe, the undead struck at his opponent's legs. Colbert was already airborne, leaping backwards over the strike, his chant not faltering even for a moment. Midair, Colbert leveled his pistol mere feet from the Cardinal's brow and pulled the trigger.

The second it took for the wheel to spin and ignite the shot was just enough for the Cardinal to raise his arm. The dispelling shot tore through the Cardinal's water defense like paper. Instantly, the limb went slack and the staff clattered to the floor. Having banked everything on hitting, Colbert landed on his back with a muted thud. Not missing a beat, Colbert rolled to the side just as the Cardinal's still working arm slammed into the glass, right where he lay a moment ago.

On his belly, Colbert kept his chant up and looked to the reflection below. Leg raised, the Cardinal stomped down toward the professor. Using the reflection of the mirrored floor, Colbert pushed himself into a slide between the Cardinal's legs and clear of the stomp. Still prone, Colbert aimed his staff and finished his chant. "Ignite Serpent!" Taking the spell that was his trademark and combining it with the rapid combustion used in his experimental engines, Colbert launched all his power in a concentrated burst.

Fire so hot it burned white pierced through the Cardinal's chest in an instant. Flesh burned to ash and the world shone with endlessly reflected light. Pouring ever more power in, Colbert widened the blaze and burned away as much as he could. The flame drank hungrily from Colbert's willpower, but he poured more of it forward. Then, fearing willpower depletion, Colbert let his spell die.

Momentarily blinded by his own brilliant light, Colbert had to blink a couple times. As his vision was restored, Colbert looked upon the Cardinal teetering above him. With more hole than chest remaining, the massive undead looked to crumple into a pile of limbs. Yet before the chest could give way, the Cardinal's knees did. Crumpling, the undead man collapsed next to Colbert.

The thud of flesh on glass elicited a relieved sigh from Colbert. Planting one hand, he pushed himself to his knees and looked to the discarded metal staff beside him. _Better safe than sorry._ Reaching out, Colbert slapped the staff away. Yet the staff did not roll. Instead it morphed into fluid metal and simply let Colbert's hand pass through it.

In that moment of confusion, a massive hand closed around Colbert's throat. Eyes bulging in surprise, Colbert barely managed to turn his eyes on the Cardinal beside him. Though the body remained motionless, the arm gripped Colbert with a mind of its own.

Colbert gasped vainly, clawing at the iron-like grip around his throat. He couldn't breathe – and with no breath came no spells. With no magic to save him, Colbert flailed about, desperately trying to break free. Slowly, his strength died and the world began to fade. _No..._ Colbert fought through the fog encroaching on his mind. _I still need to-_

Rows of teeth sharp as daggers crunched down on the undead arm, releasing the captive Colbert. Sylphid bit through flesh and blood like a twig, shredding the arm from shoulder to wrist. Then, with one claw bracing the body, Sylphid reared back and tore the arm free with a true dragon's roar.

Coughing and dazed, Colbert gasped for precious air. His mind still clouded, he couldn't react in time as the Cardinal rolled over to grasp his staff with his remaining arm. Chest already half healed, the Cardinal aimed toward the rearing dragon above and uttered his spell through gargled breath. "Whirlpool Spear." Water formed into a whirling drill-like spearhead and propelled upward.

Sylphid's roar turned into a cry of pain as her scales were shredded along her throat. Her natural armor held just enough to deflect the fatal blow, but dragon blood sprayed from the deep gash all the same. Sylphid collapsed to the side, writhing in panic as more blood fled from the wound.

Though unfamiliar with dragon biology, Colbert didn't need to be an expert to know an artery had been hit. Staff in hand, Colbert tried and failed to rise, still weakened from his massive spell and loss of air. Summoning everything he had, Colbert looked to the Cardinal closing wounds. _No_! Launching his fire forward, Colbert desperately tried to end the fight. The steam that erupted from the meeting of fire and water sank Colbert's heart while the lance of water that shot toward the unconscious Saito froze it.

Launching his own spell, Colbert just barely managed to intercept the killing blow. Then, when he turned back to the Cardinal, Colbert gulped at the sight of the last of the undead's wounds closing and the phylactery fragments held by a tendril of water. At the very least, the arm hadn't grown back, but Colbert doubted he could win even with that small grace. The tendril of water stowed the phylactery fragment within a pouch on the undead's belt and then coiled, ready to strike. Staring down the spell, Colbert readied to intercept whatever target it might have.

Moments before the spell launched, the scene was interrupted as glass cut through glass in a strange and _wrong_ imitation of laughter. Instantly, the Cardinal whirled on the noise and blasted the newcomer to pieces. Fragments of glass and fine clothing scattered before Colbert could get a good look at the figure. However, a multitude of more figures began to exit the forest of pillars beyond. Each identical, Colbert noted in morbid fascination.

Clad in fine suits, the men of glass walked in eerie, shambling gaits. Rather than a head, each figure had large hand mirrors that reflected Colbert's own face back at him. No, that face was younger, the face he had worn when he was a soldier. Memories of his bloodied hands flooded Colbert's mind as his own reflected face laughed the laugh of glass on glass, shaking the professor to the core.

The Cardinal hesitated for a moment, shuddering as if his body were being pulled in two different directions. Then, as if an order had been set, the undead man charged away. In response, glass men jumped toward the running undead. A multitude of them latched to the runner, clinging tight to the undead flesh. Reflections of the Cardinal's own head pushed through the mirrors of the glass men and bit into the flesh of the original. The carnival of self-cannibalism continued as each bite was regenerated before another could be taken and though the Cardinal fled through the pillars beyond Colbert's sight, the sound of flesh tearing echoed throughout the twisted world.

With that horrific image fresh in mind, Colbert looked from where Saito lay unconscious to the rapidly weakening Sylphid, then back to the monsters all around. His willpower was nearly depleted and he was still drawing in shuddering breaths from the Cardinal's attack. Despite that, he was the only one still capable in combat and though these two may not have been his students, they were just as important to him as the rest. The multitudes of glassy constructs were closing in and surrounding the group – there were too many for him to count. He looked down at his own reflection in the mirrored floor and with a shaky breath, steeled his will. Injured and drained, Colbert prepared to make his last stand in defense of his comrades.

Readying his final spell with the concentration of a soldier staring down his own death, he failed to notice the whistle of the projectile sailing toward his position.

* * *

><p>Louise looked up to the reflected ceiling and considered flying once more. On one hand, it would be faster, but on the other, it was hard enough keeping her sense of direction in this vertigo inducing maze when she could still stop and mark pillars. If she took to the sky and started weaving around through the multitude of columns, she could end up just wasting magic and getting even more lost.<p>

Summoning forth a small bit of dark energy, Louise carved an arrow into the pillar before her and followed it. With nothing more than her gut instinct to follow, Louise hoped for the best and continued on. At the very least, she had yet to run into one of her direction markings. Of course, that assumed this world didn't just repair the damage she did to it. Or mess with her sense of direction more subtly. In the back of her mind, Louise almost expected her efforts to fail. Until now, they had scraped by just barely, failing every step of the way but still managing to press on. Now though... now her sister was captured, everyone was scattered, Saito and Id could very well be dead, and Kirche was...

Louise bit down and refused to face it. "I thought I was supposed to rely on you." Louise half accused under her breath.

Though she did not expect an answer, she ended up receiving one. The screech of glass cutting glass imitated echoing laughter as fine clothed men made of glass began to filter through the forest of columns toward Louise. The hand-mirrors that formed their heads shone with Louise's own reflection, mocking her with a face so subtly off that it shook Louise unconsciously. On an instinctive level, Louise knew what these were: the familiars of a witch.

Copies of Louise's own face opened with inhumanly wide jaws and leapt toward her. Summoning forth her magic, Louise spun and let out a scattering of weak shots. The glass men around her shattered into fragments under her power, filling the air with reflecting mirror shards. As they fell around her, their reflections killed any sense of victory within Louise.

Upon the shards, Louise was assaulted by images directly from her memories. She could see her every failure. From her countless miscast spells, to seeing Montmorency pierced by Wardes, even all the way to watching Kirche's Soul Gem shatter before her very eyes. Each and every one of her failures clouded in on her heart, revealing just how useless her efforts were. Just how useless _she_ was.

The hesitation instilled by the reflections nearly cost Louise her life as another familiar's jaws closed, aiming for her neck. Belatedly reacting, Louise leaned out of the way, barely saving her own skin. Flicking up her staff, Louise summoned forth a wide spearhead of dark energy and cut the monster in half. Continuing the motion, she spun and cut two more in twain. With more and more familiars appearing, Louise mounted her staff and flew upwards and away, seeking escape. The brief respite faltered at the sound of stone groaning from above.

Within the reflection of the mirror ceiling, a column fell independently of its real counterpart. Against all reason, the great pillar smashed through the glass from beyond and came crashing into reality. Glass shards as large as wagons fell toward Louise in a swarm of blades. Focusing, the magical girl found her gap and lanced through the oncoming storm. Twin cuts rained down her back, grazing her just enough to draw blood; but Louise was through the next instant.

She looked above to see the glass ceiling still solid, as if it had never broken. Then, gulping with fear, Louise spotted several more pillar reflections begin to lean, pushed by the reflections of familiars. She got lucky dodging one, it would be impossible to dodge them all. With certain death above and an army of glassy familiars below, Louise took her chances with the ground and possible cover.

Lancing down, Louise cut through the waiting familiars and did her best to ignore the memories their dying shards called forth. A cacophony of shattering glass resounded above and Louise raced toward the rubble left by the first pillar. Louise sliced apart three more biting heads and slid into a gap in the stone rubble just as the world around was filled with falling glass.

Sheltered as she was, Louise looked from her haven to the multitude of leftover familiars being shredded by the falling glass. The instant the storm of glass finished, all noise vanished. With no familiars or glass left, the only sound came from her heavy breaths and the fading echoes in the distance.

Rubble shifted behind Louise and instantly her heart rate spiked as a familiar trapped in the rubble made a lunge for her. Cramped as she was, Louise had no ability to dodge. Instead, she pulled her staff around and wedged it in the monster's jaws. Glass on metal pinged as the jaw bit down with animalistic force. Wrestling, Louise held the snapping familiar off and pushed away from the rubble with her own staff wrenched from her grip in the process.

The folly of such an escape dawned on the girl when she looked down and saw the reflection of falling glass. _When had_-?! Louise realized that another pillar had smashed through just as the previous storm had been landing. Her staff was with the familiar in her only cover and out here was-! Louise's heart froze as she looked up to her falling death, glued to the ground by indecision.

_*fwishhh*_

A cloud of steam erupted forth, covering Louise and her surroundings in an instant. The thick, taffy-like fog blotted out the shattered familiars, the falling glass, and even the twisted world itself. In that dense, white world of soft steam, Louise fought the hope blossoming in her heart. There was only one person who used steam like this, and that was the same person she had left behind. "Louise.'" The Valliere whirled to meet Montmorency's voice.

Though mildly obscured by the thick steam, Montmorency stood before her all the same. Desperately, Louise restrained her heart for fear of yet another trick by this torturous labyrinth. Yet weakened by fear of death and tortured by her worst memories, Louise lacked the strength to resist. "Is it really you?" Louise asked with vulnerable hope.

Stepping forward, Montmorency pulled Louise into an embrace. "Ah, I'm here Louise." The two gripped each other firmly, each desperately confirming that they had reunited.

Not willing to meet Montmorency's gaze, Louise said with a cracked voice, "It's Kirche. Kirche turned into a witch." It felt like an admission of guilt. It was her failures that brought this to be.

Unfazed, Montmorency just placed a hand on Louise's head. "Colbert told me." The mention of the professor was enough to draw Louise's surprised gaze. "Siesta and I found Colbert, Sylphid and Saito. They fought the Cardinal and then got ambushed by familiars. I healed them as best I could and left Siesta to protect them." Montmorency smirked through a grimace. The maid had _not_ been happy about that plan, but it was the best option in truth. A tingle ran down Montmorency's spine as her steam was shifted by another. "The familiars are closing in, can you fly?" Closing her eyes, Montmorency focused on the forms wading through her magic.

Louise glanced from Montmorency to the white world around. "I can, but there's no sense of direction in here. If I get lost then-" Louise halted when Montmorency flicked her brow.

Smirking at Louise, Montmorency chastised, "Have a little faith in yourself. I came from that way," She pointed beyond Louise then jutted her thumb in the opposite direction. "So we go that way." Stunned at Montmorency's ridiculously simple plan, Louise faltered.

Heart buoying, Louse felt the strength gained by having her closest comrade at her back. "Right, let's go." Mounting her staff once more, Louise felt Montmorency's familiar weight settle into place. The next moment, the steam about began to swirl. Sucked in by Montmorency's will, the steam flooded into her mouth and filled her body. The instant the world around faded back into view, Louise launched skyward and away from the crowd of familiars. Above, more pillars began to fall, but Louise leveled out and raced forward, clear of the danger. Now that she was ready for the attack from above, dodging them was easy enough.

Louise glanced back and hesitated for just a moment at the sight of Montmorency. Now free from the obscuring steam, Louise could see the unnatural pale of Montmorency's skin and the way her eyes seemed clouded over. "Monmon, are you okay?" She had never seen Montmorency use her magic that way before and something worried her, especially how she refused to meet her gaze.

Nodding, Montmorency hid behind a bent truth. "I'm a bit hurt, but this steam will keep me moving until we have a chance for you to heal me." With each breath, a trail of steam emanated from Montmorency's mouth as if the pressure within pushed the vapor out. Though worried for her friend, Louise knew setting down to heal was dangerous with those familiars below and above. Whatever injury Montmorency had, Louise would have to trust in her friend that it could wait.

As the two soared through the alien sky, Louise cradled the shred of hope within her heart. With each pillar she weaved around and falling storm of glace she outpaced, Louise's resolve grew. As hard as everything had become, with Montmorency at her back, she could press forward.

Keeping a straight heading turned out to be relatively easy with the contrail of steam left behind by Montmorency. A simple glance over the shoulder was all it took to correct any drifting. With the speed of flight coupled with Montmorency's aid, it wasn't long before a great glass wall appeared before them. Just as Montmorency had instinctively identified the outer barrier, both girls knew that this was the door to the witch's lair. Steeling themselves, the two flew through the last barrier and shattered their way into what waited ahead.

A great Colosseum formed by broken pillars acted as a cage for the twisted form of the witch. Clad in a fleshy, putrid gown that seemed more like a monster sprung forth from the ground to consume her, the giant witch knelt. Six gargantuan spindly arms reached skyward, holding up the glass ceiling in lieu of the broken pillars about. Straining under the weight of the sky, the witch's back buckled under the strain and leaned downward. Rather than a head, a great eye hung low, looking down at the girl below.

Though the witch remained at her task of holding up the sky, below, the fleshy tatters of her dress chased Charlotte around the arena. As soon as Louise caught sight of her friend, she flew herself into a dive. Charlotte held her book in one arm and cradled a bloodied Id in the other. Pages fluttered about her, ready for their magic to be summoned. "_Chapter 26: Taldir's Wall!_" Pages flashed from existence and in an instant, a great barrier of ice intercepted the grotesque tendrils of cloth racing to grasp her. Panting, Charlotte dodged another strike. "Kirche!" She called out to the towering witch once more in vain hope. The witch above only stared on as Charlotte was surrounded by the autonomous dress.

Twin blasts of dark energy severed the attacking dress just as Louise and Montmorency landed on either side of Charlotte. Whirling her staff, Louise cut down another tendril, "Are you alright, Charlotte?" Though Louise worried for Id, she could not take her eyes of the tendrils that slowly edged around their perimeter, looking for a chance to strike.

Despite the exhaustion from her drawn out fight, Charlotte was still relieved for the backup. "Tired, but Id and Kirche..." She trailed off, holding forth the wounded familiar and glancing to the witch that was her dearest friend.

Taking assessment of the situation, Louise ordered, "Cover me while I heal Id." Scooping the familiar up, Louise quickly set about filtering her power into the Incubator. Ice drawn from paper and steam clouds whirled about as the tendrils lanced forth, but despite the clash Louise remained focused. Thankfully, Id was a rather compact creature; it was a quick job to repair the deep gash.

As soon as the wound closed, Id's eyes fluttered open. _"My apologies. I intended to only take enough damage to rouse Charlotte's resolve, not to be disabled to such an extent." _Now healed, the incubator righted itself upon the floor.

With her task done, Louise summoned forth more dark energy and flung it against the encroaching tendrils. In the brief moment of respite, Louise asked, "Id, how do we turn Kirche back?" With Id behind her, Louise fell back to back with the two other magical girls in a defensive perimeter.

Id paused briefly in surprise, long enough for Louise to notice. _"Do not attempt that." _Id stated with what finality it could emulate. _"The transformation into a witch has never been undone." _Each girl grimaced defiantly and Id's mind began to race. This was not the first time it had seen magical girls commit this folly.

Steeling herself, Louise glanced to Charlotte and redoubled her resolve. "Hasn't been done, but you didn't say that it was impossible." Again, the tendrils attacked and were repelled. Though safe for now, Louise knew that was simply a test of their defense.

Id knew it needed to convince Louise quickly. "_Just because it cannot be proven impossible due to the irregular nature of magical girls doesn't mean you are special enough to preform what no other magical girl has managed._" Once again, Id found itself wishing Louise would dump her emotions, if only for her to gain some objective logic rather than for the precious data it usually requested.

It was Montmorency that responded to Id's statement. "Well, we're the only magical girls you've met from this world, so I'd say that makes us special." Glancing to her side, Montmorency smirked to Louise. "A plan where everyone survives."

Louise smirked back and nodded. "Charlotte, we'll protect you. Just get Kirche to wake up." Her order set, Louise and Montmorency raced forth to beat back the encroaching dress. In a storm of spinning pole-arms, the pair fought in a flurry of practiced teamwork.

Momentarily safe from attack, Charlotte disregarded the staring Id in favor of stepping forward and meeting the gaze of Kirche above. "Kirche." Charlotte swallowed. For so long she had closed in on herself, now it was hard to even form words and bare her heart. But if there was one person who deserved that effort, it was Kirche. "You once said that you would follow me to hell and back." The eye blinked, letting loose a single eyelash the size of a tree. Alert and ready, Montmorency propelled herself over with steam and smashed the massive eyelash away. Not missing a beat, Charlotte continued, "If this is hell, then now is the time to come _back. _Come back with us, Kirche._" _Pulling forth one more handful of pages, Charlotte called forth the mirror used to return the memories stolen from Ilvaldi's princess. "_Chapter 27: Mirror of Remembrance._" The ornate ice mirror formed with a soft blue glow.

Reflections shone from the mirror to the witch above. Memories of Kirche standing by Charlotte. Of their battles, their travels, and even their simple school days, spent lounging in the courtyard. Memories of the solitary girl and the companion who refused to let her friend remain alone. Those memories shattered as a tendril shot forward, crashing through the mirror and slamming into the alone girl. "Charlotte!" Louise and Montmorency called out in unison as their defense was breached. With one down, the onslaught intensified and it was all they could do to just hold off the attack.

Struggling on the floor from the blow, Charlotte tried to rise. Around her, she heard the other two calling for her to try again. That they could keep it up. Yet wounds began to appear as they were slowly overwhelmed. Could they really keep this up? A white paw pressed against the soul gem on Charlotte's chest. Gaze turning to the side, Charlotte met Id's gaze just as the world slowed to a near halt. In the depths of her soul, Charlotte felt the incubator grip and push its own memories into her.

"_So it's possible." The red-haired, wild looking young girl glowered at Id._

_Watching on, Id replied, "There's no precedence for it." The girl fervently ate from the pile of miscellaneous food before her and angrily rambled._

_An instant later, that same girl spun her spear in a desperate fight against a mimicry of a mermaid, holding off strange wheels as a pink haired girl called out "Sayaka! Please recognize us!" Again, the vision faded to reveal that pink haired girl unconscious in the arms of another. The red haired spear wielder was nowhere to be found._

"_She died." Id stated as more images flooded in._

_A blonde girl, clad in golden armor shouted at the top of her lungs,"Renee!"_

"_She died."_

_A trio fought against a harlequin somehow puppeteering itself, "Chelsea!"_

"_They died."_

_More and more images of girls from countless ages and cultures filled Charlotte's very being. A thousand hopes flickered and died, each accompanied by Id's direct statement of their demise._

Id stated its sins with complete honesty. _"I have presented that farcical possibility and led far more than just these few to their deaths. Every single one of them failed." _Turning, Id looked to the weakening Louise and Montmorency. _"If this keeps up, they will die by Kirche's curse."_ Then, once more meeting Charlotte's unfocused gaze, Id impressed the terrible truth upon her. _"Kirche is gone. The only thing you can do for her now is to erase her curse."_

Red eyes pierced the cloud of doubt that filled Charlotte's blue. Fear replaced the fading doubt and Charlotte shook her head fervently in denial. _No! _She denied it with all her being. She had broken free of her uncle. This wasn't supposed to happen! "Kirche please!" Clutching her book to her chest, Charlotte shuddered as the scene around her unfolded. To her left Montmorency swatted away three attacks, only for blood to spray as one slipped through her guard. To her right Louise unleashed all her power, blasting without regard to her ever darkening soul gem.

It was the same as what Id had shown her. The logical voice in the back of Charlotte's mind told her what had to be done, and she wanted to crush those thoughts with all her heart. This thing before her was Kirche right? "Kirche?" Above the witch watched on complacently. Its great eye turning ever so slightly to look as its familiars began to arrive. Glass men encircled the magical girls, hemming them in on all sides.

Both her comrades were exhausted and there was but one outcome if this continued. Clutching her book tighter, Charlotte burned the image of her injured friends into her mind, fueling what weak conviction she could muster. "_Chapter 29: Frosts of the North._" Pages fluttered to the wind and blue light heralded the summoned blizzard. Wind, sleet and snow swirled in a mad frenzy, tossing away the encroaching familiars and obscuring the world.

Ice began to creep along the witch, freezing up her dress and to the arms above. Through the wind Louise called out with worried confusion, "Charlotte?" But the princess made no reply. If this had to be done, she would be the one to do it.

Then, nodding with a somber heart, Charlotte steeled herself. Tears formed at the edge of her vision as she stood. Those tears fell as she grabbed another chapter from her book. Tearing the pages from her soul, Charlotte looked upon what Kirche had become one last time. "I'm sorry." With one final breath, Charlotte closed her eyes and summoned forth her magic. "_Chapter 30: Heaven's Lost Star!_"

As if breaking through reality itself, a meteor as large as a house punched through the magic circle formed by the scattered pages. The massive missile crashed into the witch with a torrential blast of power. "Charlotte?!" Louise and Montmorency cried in surprise even as the shock wave shattered the world around.

The witch moaned in an echo of warping glass as its life ended. The world wavered as the barrier's source of power vanished. The light of Charlotte's star and the world itself faded into darkness and once more, the dimly lit caves of the lich's abode surrounded them. Charlotte crumpled to her knees. She had killed her dearest friend.

* * *

><p>The soft pink glow of Louise's healing magic faded over Saito. The once shallow breaths returned to steady and deep gulps. Placing the last metal shards of the shattered Derflinger at his side, Louise studied the closed wounds. Once again, Louise had pulled him back from ridiculous injuries. He, like the now healed Sylphid, slept blissfully unaware of the despair filling the dimly lit cave. Charlotte had yet to move and refused to talk to Colbert despite the man's best attempts to comfort her. Without even a body to bury, Charlotte silently cried for her lost friend.<p>

Off to the side, Siesta anxiously watched Montmorency, still clad in her magical girl clothing and emanating steam with each breath. "Did she...?"

Montmorency simply shook her head. "There wasn't any time." As if chewing over something, the blonde looked to Charlotte and then to Louise. With the memory of Kirche's witch fresh in mind, Montmorency evasively asked Louise as she approached, "Is your soul gem clean?" Though confused at the odd question given the circumstances, Louise nodded. With the grief seeds provided by Siesta they had more than enough for the foreseeable future. "Then... I could use some healing." Letting her transformation drop, steam fled Montmorency's body. The soft glow of gold flickered away and as soon as the strength of her magic left her, Montmorency crumpled.

Siesta was ready and caught the blonde before she fell. Slowly, the maid lowed Montmorency to the floor as the now panicked Louise hurried close. "Monmon, what happened?" Though Louise had attributed her friend's pale skin to that new steam eating technique, that assumption proved false as now Montmorency was even paler and her eyes clouded over.

Rather than answer for herself, Montmorency let Siesta explain. "She got stabbed with some kind of necrotic poison. She insisted to go after you despite... despite _this._" Siesta did her best to keep her voice hushed as she looked to Montmorency.

Worried, Louise readied her soul gem and a grief seed just in case. She just needed to heal Montmorency. There was plenty of magic right? Pink light shone down on Montmorency and magic filed her body. With her soul, Louise felt for the damage to undo. Felt for the injuries to heal and flesh to strengthen. Louise felt nothing. Just dead flesh. "Monmon, I-" Louise's breath caught in her despair. This was... This was so far beyond her that she had no idea what to do. The only reason the flesh wasn't rotting was due to Montmorency's own magic preserving it. With even a shred of life, Louise could try _something_. But this... this was a corpse.

A dead hand reached up and pressed a grief seed into Louise's Soul Gem. What shards of darkness that had formed within the pink gem were whisked away, "Don't freak out, blockhead," Montmorency managed. Without forcing steam within her, it was hard to manually move what she needed, but she could manage for Louise. "We'll figure something out." Even crumbling, as long as she was beside Louise, Montmorency could find hope.

Reigning in her emotions, Louise knew that panicking would do nothing. With multiple wounded and people breaking down mentally, she needed to keep everyone together. _"Louise." _Id's voice tempered Louise. Glancing over to where the familiar watched the exit tunnel, Louise waited. "_Footsteps. Eight bipedal likely non-undead moving at a fast pace._"

Of course. Louise grimaced. Once more transforming, Louise leveled her staff and called Siesta to her. Right now, Charlotte could only do so much and Colbert had drained nearly everything he had. "_Not yet._" Louise spoke to where Montmorency reached for her own gem. Whatever technique Montmorency used to move, it couldn't be helping her body. Placing herself and Siesta between the opening and the rest of her comrades, Louise steeled her will for whatever may come.

Soon enough, the footfalls could be heard even by her own ears as the enemies arrived at the boulder that sealed them inside. After a moment of silence, stone ground against stone as the boulder slid aside. Cloaked men hurried inside, quickly splitting up into a semicircle perimeter as soon as they saw Louise. The sight of pointed ears chilled Louise to the bone. Elves had found them. "Spiritkin?" A familiar disbelieving voice met Louise as the final figure entered.

Not quite believing it, Louise looked upon the familiar elf. "Bidashal?" Closing her mouth, Louise swallowed and opened it again to ask, "What are you doing here?" Glancing to the readied, if hesitant, stances of the other elves, Louise kept her staff raised.

Noticing Louise's glance, Bidashal raised a hand to his subordinates. "Stand down, they are not our enemies." Though still hesitant, the other elves slowly took a step back. "Human airships snuck into our territory and hid under the protection of the lich eater. When we had a chance, we struck. Sadly, the flagship escaped toward the human lands at the cost of its escorts." The elf grimaced, annoyed at the order to refrain from possibly sparking a war. "What are you doing here, if I may be so bold?" Bidashal glanced over the ragged group with worry.

When Bidashal's eyes stopped on Montmorency, Louise looked to her friend as well. Though lying motionless on the floor, the girl still clutched her soul gem firmly. As beaten as they were and without Sylphid to track Cattleya's scent, Louise knew she had to make a choice. "Bidashal, do the elves have good healers?" Eyes still on Montmorency, Louise hoped fearfully.

Understanding her intent, Bidashal nodded. "The best anyone could ask for."

Closing her eyes, Louise knew she had to gamble with trust yet again. "In that case, I'd like to ask for a favor."

A/N: For any interested at the reference to Kyouko and Sayaka. Id is the same Incubator who did most of the talking in PMMM. It came to Halkeginia before Madoka made her wish however. So Madokami ain't a thing and will not appear in Unforeseen Consequences.


End file.
